Strike Witches: Displaced
by Leche Flandre
Summary: It's 2015, and the Neuroi continue to plague humanity. Witches of the newly-formed 815th Joint Air Wing are gathering in Britannia to train up and prepare for deployment. Meanwhile, the 501st, 507th, and 555th JFWs go about their normal days. However, strange times loom ahead that would lead history down even stranger paths...
1. Chapter 1: Tiny Bubbles

_Hello, guys and gals! This here is the first chapter of Displaced. Now, I know this isn't the original copy of the story. There were some technical difficulties, and all the headers and footers got lost. So, I've been brought in to make new ones. Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Tiny Bubbles**

Late Morning, July 6, 2015

Somewhere over Eastern Orussia

 _Tiny bubbles_

 _In the wine_

 _Make me happy_

 _Make me feel fine_

Makoa Anabuki strummed her ukulele as she sang the words to a familiar and catchy tune. She wore the light-blue collared shirt uniform of the US Navy. Amidst the bright blue sky and the puffy white cumulus clouds, such a site would not have seemed out-of-place. However, her F/A-18F Super Hornet Striker Units' magic etherjet engines nearly drowned out her voice with their roar. The brown ears of her Hawaiian Mongoose familiar stuck out of her head, nearly hidden in her dark brown hair, and the tail of the same creature appeared out of her lower back. These factors combined with the fact that she was flying 20,000 feet in the air at 400 miles per hour made her, her ukulele, and her singing sorely out-of-place. Unconcerned, or rather oblivious, she continued singing.

 _Tiny bubbles_

 _Make me warm all over_

 _With a feeling that I'm gonna_

 _Love you 'til the end of time_

Seven other witches from Fuso, China, and Liberion were flying with her, and they all seemed to be enjoying the song, nodding their heads to the rhythm. She'd met the Fuso witches from her time in Naval Air Facility Atsugi, a base jointly run by the US Navy and the Fuso Marine Self Defense Force. Sakomizu Kaminari, a FMSDF witch and Makoa's best friend, flew an F-14AF next to her; they met and were both stationed at NAF Atsugi. She wore the FMSDF uniform consisting of a white short-sleeved collared shirt, black thigh-high socks, a blue baseball-type unit identification cap, and a pair of round thick-frame glasses. Anabuki Anko, a FASDF witch and Makoa's twin sister, flew an F-15J in the lead position; they had met about a year ago, and since then had built up a close relationship, even sharing a signature handshake. She's a big stickler for rules, though. She wore a modernized version of the traditional miko uniform, black knee-high socks, and black fingerless gloves. Then there was Nagase Miyuki, another FASDF witch, flying an F-2A Viper Zero on Anko's left; Makoa actually met her before meeting Anko, and she and Kaminari were best friends since childhood, so that makes her okay in Makoa's book. If they weren't born to different parents, though, Makoa could've sworn that Miyuki and Kaminari were twins, as they shared birthdays and likenesses just like she and Anko do. Instead of a miko uniform, Miyuki preferred to wear the alternate FASDF uniform consisting of a light green collared shirt, black knee-high socks, and a dark green tie.

The four other witches joined them when they made a stopover in China. There was Zhu Lijuan, a witch from the Republic of China Air Force; she flew a J-20 in the second flight's lead position; she wore a light blue ROCAF uniform. Sun Meifeng, of the Republic of China Naval Air Force, flew a J-31 on Lijuan's left; she wore a white Republic of China Navy uniform. Marie-Rose Boudreaux of the US Air Force, flew an A-10C in the number three position; she was stationed at Osan AFB, a base jointly run by the US and Gojoseon. She wore the USAF grayish-green collared shirt and fur-lined leather jacket. Finally, Jin Lan, also of the ROCNAF, flew a J-10A in the number four position; she also wore a white ROCN uniform. Lijuan and Meifeng didn't seem to talk much, and Lan seemed to want to sing but wouldn't; however, it didn't look like they wanted Makoa to stop, so she kept the song going.

 _So here's to the golden moon_

 _And here's to the silver sea_

 _And mostly here's a toast_

 _To you and me_

Anko was getting a bit bothered. Normally, the airwaves are to be reserved only for necessary communication, and yet here was her twin broadcasting her song for miles on her comlink. She wanted to be nice and let it slide. They were family after all, and up until now had only about a year together; she didn't want to run the risk of damaging this new relationship. But no, as the superior officer and leader of this group, she felt she must do something to maintain order. The singing and ukulele playing can wait until they're out of the air. She flew over to Makoa's side.

"Commander Anabuki," she began in a polite tone, awkwardly saying her own last name after a lower rank, "Please refrain from utilizing the airwaves in an unnecessary manner. We can save the singing for when we get out of the air." _Aw, dammit,_ she thought to herself, _what the hell was that? I must sound like a killjoy._

"Oops, I didn't realize that," Makoa responded, "You're right. I could be choking up the radio traffic. Sorry about that, Anko." With that, she stopped singing, slung her ukulele's shoulder strap to her back, and grabbed her weapon. The group continued on in this silence. _Now I've done it_ , Anko scolded herself.

"Uh…Anabuki…-san," Kaminari timidly started. Both Anabukis turned to look at her. Growing more shy under their gaze, she slowly continued, "I, uh, I liked it when you were singing. It…made this…flight…..more, uh, fun….I guess you could say?"

"Yeah," agreed Miyuki, lending support to her childhood friend, "You sounded great, and I'm sure anyone listening was enjoying it, too."

"Your voice is smooth," said Marie-Rose, "Good for jazz music."

"I thought it sounded good," said Meifeng, barely audible over the comlink.

 _I thought you sounded nice. You should continue, Commander_ said an echo-y voice inside everyone's head. Unbeknownst to everyone, this voice was Lijuan using her magic telepathy, as an accident in training left her mute.

At the encouragement of everyone else and the mysterious voice, Makoa looked at her sister inquisitively. _Well, shoot, can't argue anyone there,_ thought Anko, _she did sound amazing._

"I guess it's alright," she finally said, "As long as we keep it within our own comlink channel."

"Yay," everyone exclaimed.

"Alright, girls," Makoa began, "This time, I want you all to sing the lines in English, and I'll respond in Hawaiian."

 _Tiny bubbles (hu'a li'i)_

 _In the wine (i ka waina)_

 _Make me happy (au hau'oli)_

 _Make me feel fine (i ka waina inu)_

Seeing how happy everyone was, Anko shrugged and cracked a smile. _I guess, as the saying goes, 'if you can't beat them, join them,'_ she thought, slinging her weapon to the back and grabbing her own ukulele that Makoa gave her as a birthday gift several months ago. She then began singing and strumming along to the song.

 _Tiny bubbles_

 _Make me warm all over_

 _With a feeling that I'm gonna_

 _Love you 'til the end of time_

"Hey, Makoa," Anko asked.

"Yeah, sis?"

"How'd you do that last chord there?"

"Oh, now look who wants to sing and play!"

"Shut up."

The two sisters bumped each other good-naturedly and struck up another song, and the whole group once again filled the sky with eight voices.

* * *

Morning, July 6, 1945

Approaching St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

It was a beautiful morning. The sun shone high amidst a clear blue sky textured with puffy white clouds, and the lush green forests of Belgica stretched out into the horizon. Tiredly admiring this view were Sanya, Eila, and Heidemarie Schnaufer, all returning from a long night of patrolling the airspace. It had been quite uneventful, as Neuroi activity had diminished since their mass attack in the early months of the year was foiled at the hands of the newly-reestablished 501st Joint Fighter Wing as well as troops from around the area. Though Heidemarie was the newest addition to this group, she was already based out of St. Trond and shared a good friendship with Sanya, both of them being Night Witches with magic antennae glowing on their heads. The three were regularly assigned to night patrol.

Sanya let out a yawn. The other two answered with yawns of their own. Stretching her arms and back, Eila said, "Once we land, I'm gonna take a nice long nap. What about you guys?"

"A nap sounds good," said Sanya.

"I have to give report to Wing Commander Minna about our patrol," said Heidemarie.

"Aren't you exhausted," Eila asked.

"No. No, I'm completely fine," Heidemarie responded, trying hard to talk through another yawn.

"Ehe, you're such a liar, Heidemarie," said Sanya.

Heidemarie sighed, looking away nervously. It wasn't long before they were approaching the runway of St. Trond Air Base. On their way down, they spotted a couple of figures taking off. They could make out a witch and a Fusan A6M Zero fighter plane. It was Perrine and Mio, also members of the 501st, heading out for some training maneuvers. Mio was a former witch who lost all of her magic after a Neuroi super-hive's core fused with her and used her magic to defend itself. She remains a member of the 501st, flying conventional aircraft in a support role. They exchanged a wave, lined up with the runway, and touched down. Taxiing down to the hangar, they passed Yoshika, Lynne, and Hattori Shizuka – another new addition to the 501st – hanging laundry out to dry, and they exchanged a wave. Yoshika somehow regained her magic during the Neuroi's mass attack in the earlier months of this year.

"Sanya-san, Eila-san, Heidemarie-san, good morning," Yoshika greeted with a bright smile.

"Hello Yoshika, Lynne, and Shizuka," they responded.

"How was your patrol," Lynne asked.

"Ah, more of the same," said Eila, "Not a Neuroi in sight. It was, um, peaceful."

"Eila was bored the whole time," said Sanya, "So we sang songs all night."

As Eila looked away with a sheepish face, everyone laughed. "Well, we had better get to the hangar," said Heidemarie, "I still have to report to the Wing Commander."

"Ok, well, goodbye, then," said Yoshika with another wave.

Once Sanya, Eila, and Heidemarie entered the hangar, they shed their equipment and walked out, swapping a quick greeting with Shirley and Lucchini who were busy tinkering with their Striker Units' systems and complementing a wonderful meal that Yoshika had prepared earlier. Walking out together, they passed by Trude and Erica, who was in her underwear. Well, the upper half, at least; she wasn't wearing any pants. Trude was blowing her top trying to get Erica to "show a little professionalism" and saying that "a soldier of Karlsland would never expose herself so indecently." Erica was brushing her off, tiredly complaining about the heat or some other thing. It was here that the three split off, with Sanya and Eila heading off to their room. Heidemarie said goodbye, let out another yawn, and then headed up to Wing Commander Minna's office to give her report.

* * *

Morning, July 6, 1940

Kauhava Air Base, Suomus

Tomoko stood in the hangar with Ki-44 Strikers equipped and a miko uniform on her body. Supplies from their home countries finally came, and she was overjoyed to finally equip a familiar Striker instead of a Messerscharf. She didn't have any problem with it; in fact, she thought it was a fantastic Striker. It was just that she wanted to show what Fuso was capable of. There was no alert – no Neuroi had been sighted moving across the Suomi border for quite some time – but Tomoko felt that some training flights would be good to keep the squadron's skills up. Lined up in front of her were the witches of the newly re-designated 507th Joint Fighter Wing.

First in line was Haruka, a girl highly experienced in the art of seduction, despite her being only 13; she was mounting an A6M Striker of the Fuso Navy. _If only she would put some of that "skill" into aerial combat,_ Tomoko thought to herself. Next was Giuseppina, a witch from Romagna with a carefree attitude; she was sporting a Fiat G.50 from Romagna. She and Haruka seemed to be bickering about something, something to which Tomoko didn't want to give much thought. _Can I have just_ one _night without either one or both of them sneaking into my bed?_ After Giuseppina was Elma, a Suomi witch who was standing looking quite concerned with the unfolding spectacle; she was wearing a Bf109E. Beurling of Britannia looked on with a detached expression; she was wearing the Spitfire Mk. V. Finally, there was Katherine from Liberion and Ursula from Karlsland bringing up the rear. Katherine wore an F4F Wildcat, and Ursula wore an FW190. Ursula was also wrapped up in a book of some sort, so she paid the argument no mind.

Katherine was having a hard time. She was a bit tired and sore from yesterday's training session, so she wanted to get into the air as soon as possible and get this thing done so she could relax for the rest of the day. But with Haruka and Giuseppina arguing, and Tomoko unsuccessfully trying to get them to stop, it didn't seem like that would be a possibility. She nudged Beurling and said, "Hey, uh, Beurling?"

"Hm?" said Beurling.

"Aren't ya getting a little annoyed from all this arguing?"

"Yeah."

"It's the fifth time this week, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"You think we should say something?"

"I don't think anything we say can change the situation."

"But shouldn't we try?"

Beurling thought for a moment, then stepped forward, and said to Tomoko, "Flying Officer, we would like to get in the air now, if you're done letting these two walk all over you."

"Yes, please get these two to quit bickering," Tomoko pleaded.

With that, Beurling walked over to Haruka and Giuseppina, hoisted Haruka over her shoulder, placed her in between Katherine and Ursula, and took her original place, all with her Strikers still attached to her legs. The rest of the group looked astonished. Beurling didn't even look phased after carrying Haruka, Striker and all. "Now then," she said, "shall we take off?"

"But why do I have to be back here," Haruka protested.

"Because you got be Tomoko's wingman last week. Now it's only fair that Giuseppina gets a turn," said Beurling., "And plus, you're much lighter."

"Hahaha! Beurling, you're starting to sound like a mother," said Katherine.

"Can we just go?"

"Alright, alright," said Tomoko, "Let's go."

With all of that finally done, everyone revved up their magic engines and headed out to the runway. Haruka looked towards Tomoko and Giuseppina lifting off first, pouting the whole time. _I will not lose to you, Pasta Officer. Tomoko will be mine._

Late Afternoon, July 6, 2015

Still Somewhere over Eastern Orussia

"Are we there yet," asked Jin Lan, "We've been flying for hours!"

"Hold on, we're almost there," said Anko. They'd been flying for a while now, and everyone was getting tired. They had just made contact with an Antonov An-124, designated "Snow Goose"; it's a huge Orussian cargo plane modified to land, accommodate, and launch witches while in flight. Since the USAF pioneered such technology with their modified C-5 Galaxies back in 1991, planes like these had become an integral part in anyone's military, and other countries had begun modifying their own large cargo jets.

Looking at the magic-level-monitor application that Makoa installed into her wrist-mounted flight computer, she noticed that the meter was almost redlining. She turned to her wingman Miyuki, and asked her, "What's your meter showing, Miyuki?"

"I'm nearing the end of my main reserves, it seems," Miyuki responded.

Anko then flew over to Makoa and Kaminari. "Hey, what about you guys," she asked them.

"I'm about to redline," said Makoa.

"I can go a little while longer," said Kaminari tiredly but confidently.

"Ah, look at you, you little trouper," said Makoa, flying over to pat Kaminari on the head.

If receiving praise from her idol and crush didn't make Kaminari feel warm and fuzzy inside, the pat on the head was sure to send her straight to heaven. "Haaaaahhhh," she gasped, "Commander. D-do it again….please…?"

"Uh, ok," said Makoa. She reached over and repeated the gesture.

"Haaaaaahhhh," Kaminari gasped again, entranced by the touch of her beloved.

Anko giggled a bit, and then said, "Alright, you two lovebirds break it up. Back in formation."

"Lovebirds!?" Makoa objected, "Now you just made this awkward!" She promptly stopped and formed back up. "See if we're getting close to the plane yet."

"Alright," said Anko as she hailed Snow Goose. "Snow Goose, this is Nor'easter flight. Be advised, we are running low on magic energy. Could you fly over to us? Over."

"Nor'easter, Snow Goose, roger," said the pilot in a thick Orussian accent, "We'll be right over. ETA 10 minutes. Over."

"Roger, Snow Goose, and thank you. Over and out," said Anko.

"Woohoo," exclaimed Lan, doing three loops and a roll.

"Hey, hey, watch out," exclaimed Marie-Rose, "You almost crashed into me! You know I can't maneuver as much as you."

"Sorry."

Ten minutes later, the whistling roar of the Antonov's four massive engines reverberated through the air. Snow Goose came back up on the radio, "Nor'easter, Snow Goose. We have visual on you on our ten o'clock. We are opening the flight deck for you now. You are clear to line up and begin landing checks. Stay clear of our jet wash. Over."

"Snow Goose, Nor'easter. Roger. We are moving to line up. Thank you. Over," Anko responded. She and the rest of Nor'easter flight banked right, barrel-rolled over the top of the Antonov, and slowed, lining up behind the open rear ramp. "Alright, girls," Anko said, "Begin landing checks."

"Understood," they all answered in unison. They then proceeded to examine themselves and each other, running through an imaginary checklist that they memorized in flight training. They secured straps, looked over their Strikers, checked their weapons to see if the safety was on, and the like. Anko looked back to watch over them. Once everyone was done they waved a signal to Anko, who then nodded and turned back around. She hailed Snow Goose once more.

"Snow Goose, Nor'easter, we have completed landing checks," she said, "Requesting permission to land in pairs to expedite arrival. Over."

"Nor'easter, Snow Goose, roger," said Snow Goose, "You are clear to land in pairs. Over."

"Thank you, Snow Goose. Over and out," said Anko. Then she looked back again to speak to the witches, "Ok, we're landing in pairs. Get with your wingmen, link arms, and get close."

"Understood," everyone responded. Kaminari was especially overjoyed, as she was partnered up with Makoa. _Ah, the thought of the Commander pressing close up to me. I just. It's too amazing to describe,_ she thought to herself. She looked over to Makoa with an expression of joy.

"Alright, c'mere," Makoa said to her, "But no more awkward business."

"Eh? Ok," Kaminari said. She flew close, linked her arm with Makoa's, and lowered her landing gear. A hatch on each Striker leg opened up, and the landing gear extended out and locked. As she throttled down, the wings on her F-14AF, tucked in to allow for high speed flight, extended outwards to a straightened position, and flaps folded down to maintain lift at lower speeds. All the other witches followed suit, minus the extending wings, but their landing gear had extended and their flaps were down.

An array of lights arranged in a "T" were turned on to guide the witches in; the vertical column ran down into the flight deck, its lights flashed in sequence towards the open ramp, and a row of lights at its outer end told which way the witches must bank to properly line up. A similar setup illuminated the ramp itself. Two by two, the witches came in, extended their airbrakes, decelerated, straightened up to a stand, and moved aside to make way for the next pair until all eight of them were aboard. A deck officer signaled for the ramps in the nose and tail to be closed, and soon the sound of the rushing wind was replaced by the sound of the engines.

The witches docked their Strikers, powered them down, and placed their weapons on racks. A bulge that resembled a normal aircraft's cockpit opened up on their Strikers, allowing for easy exit. Aside from their packs, each witch also equipped two MXU-648 cargo pods which they stuffed with extra belongings. Gathering these things from their pods, they proceeded up the staircase to the upper deck. Four other witches were already there, and they got up to meet the new arrivals. Two of them wore the grayish-blue collared shirts with swallowtail-style coattails, dark blue ties, and black leggings – uniforms of the Orussian Air Force. Another wore a navy blue officer's coat, a sky-blue collared shirt, a black tie, and black leggings – an Orussian Navy officer uniform. Another wore the sky-blue collared shirt uniform of the Orussian Navy, similar to Makoa's US Navy uniform, but a tad darker.

First to step forward was a witch with a ponytail of silver hair, bright yellow eyes, and an Orussian Air Force garrison cap. She smiled a unique warm smile and introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Lidiya E. Litvyak of the Orussian Air Force 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment. I fly a Su-47 Berkut. Nice to meet you." As she shook hands with everyone, she gave off a very relaxing aura, almost like they could trust her despite having just met her. Her yellow eyes and silver hair gave her a hauntingly beautiful look.

Next to introduce herself was a witch with honey-colored eyes and a complicated hairstyle of two braids, medium-length forelocks, and two tails falling to her shoulders and bunched together with green rings. The rest of her straight black hair fell to her lower back, and she wore an ushanka with the Orussian Air Force emblem on it. "Hello, my name is Vera Natalia Choibalsan of the Orussian Air Force 611th Fighter Aviation Regiment. I fly the T-50 PAK FA, a new stealth Striker Unit."

"A stealth Striker," said Meifeng quietly, "That's cool."

Lijuan began moving her hands in sign language, which Meifeng translated as, "Yes, that is quite nice, indeed."

"Ehe, thank you," said Vera modestly.

After Vera finished exchanging names and handshakes, another witch stepped forward. She had white hair tied in two ponytails by small red bows and green eyes. "Hi. I'm Captain 1st Rank Nina Dina Denisova of the Orussian Navy 279th Shipborne Aviation Regiment. My Strikers are MiG-29Ks. Pleased to meet you all." She looked quite young, but she had a look about her like she had seen things most others her age never should; when she smiled and shook hands, her eyes remained slightly sad-looking.

Finally, a witch with hazel eyes and brown hair that fell around her shoulders stepped forward and introduced herself, "Hello, everyone. My name is Ludmila Toscha Mijasik, also of the Orussian Navy's 279th Shipborne Aviation Regiment. I fly a Su-25 ground attack Striker. Welcome aboard, and please make yourselves comfortable." She gave off a strict yet caring vibe to the group.

"Ground attack, huh," said Marie-Rose, "I'm ground attack, too. I l fly A-10s."

"Nice," said Ludmila, "I have a feeling that we'll get along quite nicely then."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," said Marie-Rose.

Both girls shook hands with a competitive gleam in each other's eyes. "Well then," said Ludmila, gleam now gone, "Bathrooms are in the back of the cabin, and there are blankets and a place to hang your uniforms in the closet to the left. Feel free to get comfortable."

"Thank you," said Anko, "You're very kind."

"So, what brings you here," Lidiya asked.

"Oh, we are heading for Britannia to transfer into the 815th Joint Air Wing there," said Anko.

"Hey, no way! We're transferring to the 815th, too!"

"Awesome! Let's do our best together there, huh?"

"Yeah."

With introductions complete, Anko and the rest of Nor'easter Flight went to the closet that Ludmila pointed out to grab blankets and hang up their packs. Then, they grabbed their toiletries and a change of clothes. They decided to take turns in the bathroom by flight position, with Anko first, then Kaminari, Makoa, Miyuki, Lijuan, Meifeng, Marie-Rose, and finally Lan. Anko walked over to the bathroom and closed the door; in about five minutes, she reemerged wearing a pair of basketball shorts, a shirt with the letters "FASDF" on it, and a pair of black thin-framed glasses. She was holding a contact lenses case and a recently-used toothbrush. She walked back to the closet to hang her miko uniform.

As Kaminari passed to go next, she noticed that Lt. Col. Anabuki now looked like her sister, but not as tanned. She decided not to say anything though, and silently entered the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she quickly went to work undoing the buttons on her uniform and putting it on a hanger. She then jumped out of her swimsuit-style undergarment, put on a fresh pair of pants, and then put on pajamas similar to Anko's but with "FMSDF" on the shirt. She then undid her ponytail, brushed her hair, and cleaned her glasses. Next, she applied toothpaste to her toothbrush, stuck it in her mouth, and exited the bathroom. Finally, she hung her uniform and brushed her teeth over the galley sink.

Pretty soon, everyone, including the Orussian witches, was dressed in pajamas, had hung their uniforms, and grabbed a blanket. Before lights-out, there was one more thing that had to be done. Kaminari grabbed her medkit and walked over to Makoa. "Hey, Cdr. Anabuki," she said, "How's your, um, injury?"

"Hey, Kaminari," said Makoa, "It's doing okay, I guess. It's been about three weeks since another flare-up."

"Lemme see," said Kaminari. Makoa moved her right arm to let Kaminari examine it; on her forearm was a bandage that glowed a weak blue. "Looks like I'll need to change out your dressings."

With that, she went to work unraveling the old bandage, revealing a scar inside a group of four black hexagons that signified a Neuroi infection. This was the result of an incident in which a shard from a destroyed Neuroi embedded itself in her arm. Her ability granted her with the power to shoot powerful beams out of her hands, but it consumed massive amounts of magic, so when she destroyed a squadron of fighters with them, she couldn't cast a powerful enough shield. Examining the scar and the hexagons, Kaminari's expression was both serious and concerned. "So, what do you think, Doc," asked Makoa, "Is it getting worse?"

"It's kinda hard to tell at a glance," Kaminari said, "Without the proper equipment to scan the internal damage, I cannot make any good assumptions. For now, I think it's best to just do some healing therapy and apply a fresh bandage." This Kaminari was very different from the Kaminari whose heart melted at the touch of her love interest. Whenever she was dealing with medical issues, she dropped the shy attitude and took on a more focused and mature one. In her eyes, her idol and romantic interest became her patient, and so she treated her in the same professional manner as she would any other. She also developed a way to infuse her bandages and ointments with healing magic to continuously apply its effects on a patient. Placing her hands on Makoa's scar, she fused with her familiar once more, and her hands began to emit a blue glow.

"Mmmmmmm. Oh yes, that feels wonderfuuuuuullllll," said Makoa.

 _Ah, the Commander is letting out such a nice voice…..UWAH! I'm getting carried away!_ Quickly, Kaminari pushed those thoughts out of her head and refocused on the task at hand. After applying healing magic for a couple of minutes, she disposed of the old bandage in a bio-hazard bag she kept in her kit, grabbed a fresh roll, and infused it with some magic until it glowed a bright blue. She then sanitized the scar with alcohol, dried it, and went to work putting on the new bandage. Once finished, she placed everything back in her medkit and closed it.

"Thanks, Doc," said Makoa.

"You're welcome. Brrrrr!" Kaminari's teeth chattered, as the cabin had gotten cold. She wrapped herself in her blanket and sat next to Makoa.

Lidiya, Nina, Ludmila, and Vera were very curious as to the scene that just unfolded in front of them. They wanted to know what it was all about, so they walked up and sat down across from Makoa and Kaminari. Lidiya spoke first, "So, uh, what just happened?"

"Uh…..That's, um…patient confidentiality," said Kaminari.

"It's okay, Kaminari," said Makoa, "If we're gonna be flying in the same Wing together, it would be best not to have any secrets." She then turned to the four Orussians and said, "I've got a Neuroi infection."

"Wait, what?!" said not only the Orussian witches, but the Chinese witches and Marie-Rose as well. They all gathered around Makoa and Kaminari, making her feel awkward. She scooted closer to Makoa. Anko and Miyuki, already knowing about this, were already asleep.

"Tell us what happened," said Ludmila.

"Well, I don't know, it's a long story," said Makoa.

"It's a long way to Britannia, so we've got time," said Lan.

"Yeah, pleeeaaaase," pleaded Lidiya.

"Oh, alright," said Makoa. Everyone settled in, anxiously awaiting the coming tale. Kaminari rested her head on Makoa's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Makoa began her story, "So it was a beautiful day about six months ago…"

As Makoa divulged her tale to her astounded audience, the Antonov roared its way to their destination.

 **[End of Chapter 1]**

 _So, what did you think? These modern-day witches are some interesting characters, am I right? Especially those Anabuki twins. Reminds me of my twin sister. Ah, I miss her…..WAH! Spoilers! Disregard that previous comment. Ahem, anyway, time to lay down some references:_

 _The song "Tiny Bubbles" is a song from a Chinese-Hawaiian singer named Don Ho. It's quite popular, and his most well-known song._

 _The character Zhu Lijuan is a descendant of an OC by BookMarkAHead named Zhu Xifeng. Check BookMark out, he's got some cool stories and a Deviantart account to boot._

 _Anyway, I think that about wraps it up for this one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch a movie._

The Hives – Tick Tick Boom (Single Version)


	2. Chapter 2: Bayushki-Bayu

_Ahoy, lads and lasses! I'm back from sailing the Seven Seas to provide ya with more new headers and footers. If you haven't caught on yet, I'm not the author Leche Flandre. I'm just a….concerned friend of his. Yes. You don't need to worry anymore about that. Anyway, I digress. Here's the next chapter!_

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced…

" _Tiny bubbles…In the wine…"_

"Commander Anabuki, please refrain from utilizing the airwaves in an unnecessary manner."

"Sorry about that, Anko."

"I, uh, I liked it when you were singing. It….made….this flight….more enjoyable…"

"I guess it's alright, as long as we keep it within our own comlink channel."

"Sanya-san, Eila-san, Heidemarie-san, good morning."

"But why do I have to be back here?"

"Because you got be Tomoko's wingman last week. Now it's only fair that Giuseppina gets a turn. And plus, you're much lighter."

"If we're gonna be flying in the same Wing together, it would be best not to have any secrets. I've got a Neuroi infection."

"Tell us what happened."

"So it was a beautiful day about six months ago…"

* * *

 **Chapter2: Bayushki-Bayu (Cossack Lullaby)**

0000 hours, July 7, 2015

Western Orussian Airspace

"Lidiya. Lidiya, wake up." Lidiya's yellow eyes opened drowsily to Vera's quiet whispers and gentle shaking. They focused on her standing over their owner with a full uniform on, complete with ushanka and hairdo. "Come on, get dressed," she whispered, "We're on night patrol."

"O-ok," said Lidiya as she slowly got up. She walked over to the closet and grabbed her uniform and toiletries kit, and then she headed for the bathroom. Closing the door, she splashed cold water on her face, and then proceeded to brush her teeth. Then, she shed her pajamas, put on her uniform, and brushed her silver hair. Once her hair was straightened out, she proceeded to bunch it up into a ponytail, securing it with a red ribbon. Finally, she placed her garrison cap upon her head, put everything back into her kit, and exited the bathroom. "I'm ready," she said to Vera, "Shall we?"

"Let's go," said Vera. Before they headed out, they noticed faint sobbing sounds coming over the engines' roar. Looking for the source, their gaze soon fell upon Nina, who was curled into a fetal position in a corner, mumbling and sobbing the entire time. "Oh, you poor thing," said Vera, "Are you all right?"

"It's n-n-nothing," said Nina with a sniffle, "Honestly, I'm f-f-f-f-fine."

"Come on, tell us about it. You can trust us."

"N-n-no. I just can't sl-l-leep. I'd rather not t-talk about it."

"Oh, ok, that's fine," said Lidiya, "Let's get you back to bed." She and Vera lifted the younger girl into their arms and carried her back to her bed. Nina was protesting through her sniffles and hiccups the whole time.

"I-it's not like I n-n-need to be treated like some f-f-five-year-old," she said, "B-but, thank you."

"Don't mention it," Lidiya said soothingly, "Now, you rest your head on that pillow and close your eyes. I'll be here until you fall asleep." With that, she tucked the blanket over Nina and began to sing a song her mother sang to her when she was little.

 _Spi, mladenets moy prekrasnyy, (Sleep, my beautiful one,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

As Lidiya quietly sang those first few lines, Nina's eyes focused on her face. It was then that she began to notice how alluringly beautiful Lidiya was; those yellow eyes seemed to glow the warmest glow, almost like a nightlight. And her silver hair seemed to remind her of starlight. Lidiya stroked Nina's head, running her hand through her hair, and continued singing.

 _Tikho smotrit mesyats yasnyy (With her quiet face the moon, she)_

 _V kolybel' tvoyu. (is looking upon your bed.)_

Soon Nina could see nothing more than Lidiya's face. Any background noise was drowned out to the point where all she could hear was Lidiya's voice. All she could feel was Lidiya's hand against her hair. Her eyes began to close.

 _Stanu skazyvat' ya skazki, (I will tell you fairy-tales of enchanted places)_

 _Pesenku spoyu; (and sing you some little songs)_

 _Ty zh dremli, zakryvshi glazki, (but you must slumber, with your little eyes closed,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

By the time Lidiya finished the first verse, Nina had fallen completely to sleep with a look of contentment on her face, and she decided not to continue. Standing back up, she turned to Vera who looked like she'd been fighting a losing battle against sleep. "You sure you still wanna go on patrol," asked Lidiya.

"Don't worry about me," said Vera through a yawn, "I'll be fine. Orders are orders, anyway. Man, that was some lullaby."

"Sorry, hehe," said Lidiya, "My singing has always had this weird effect on people ever since I was little."

"Come on, let's go. Before I really fall asleep."

"Ok." The two witches made their way through the corridor to the briefing room, closing the door behind them. Unknown to them, all of the other sleeping witches slept with content expressions similar to Nina's.

Once in the briefing room, they took their seats at a small table facing a projector screen that showed their current location on a map. The Antonov's air traffic radar was shown making a circular sweep through the airspace around them. A short while later, the door opened, and a senior officer from the Orussian Air Force entered. Lidiya and Vera stood at attention and snapped salutes. Returning the salute, the officer began the briefing.

"Ladies," he said, "An AWACS aircraft with the callsign 'Oka Nieba' is patrolling the airspace about 60 kilometers from us, here." Pointing to Oka Nieba's position to the northeast, he continued, "You are to form up with them and fly escort, taking down any Neuroi threats that they point out, from now until 0400 hours. You'll be going out as Nightjar Flight. Get down to the flight deck and equip your Strikers. Stay safe, girls, and good hunting. That is all."

"Understood," said the witches simultaneously.

"Dismissed," said the officer. The two girls stood and saluted once more, and then they left the briefing room and proceeded down the forward staircase leading to the flight deck.

The sound of the engines and the rushing wind was much louder down there, but the witches paid it no mind and proceeded to their waiting Striker Units. The deck crew had already positioned them up front in the nose section, along with the racks holding their guns and ammunition. They had also already loaded up air-to-air missiles into the Strikers' internal weapons bays. The witches grabbed the holster for their sidearms and clipped it into place on their waist, and then they put on a pack with pockets to hold extra ammunition and some provisions. Finally, they put on their headphones and wrist-mounted flight computers.

With these in place, they chose their weapons. Lidiya decided to go with all her suppressed weapons, grabbing her VSS Vintorez rapid-fire sniper rifle, AS Val assault rifle, and PSS silent pistol. Vera, not having the luxury of such weaponry, went with a more audible loadout with an OSV-96 anti-materiel rifle, an RPK-74 light machine gun, and a GSh-18 semi-automatic pistol. Slinging the rifles and machine guns onto their backs and holstering their pistols, they then grabbed as many magazines for these weapons as they could fit and climbed up their Striker cradles.

Once atop, they placed their legs into the sockets in their Strikers and fused with their familiars, starting up the magic flow into the engines. The engines came to life with a low hum rising in pitch until it became a low roar. Running through a mental checklist, they secured straps, connected the cord running from their headphones into a jack on the Strikers, checked their weapons, checked the comms in their headsets, and moved their Strikers' control surfaces to check for malfunctions. With everything running satisfactorily, they nodded to the officer in charge of the flight deck, who signaled another man to open the hatches. With a mechanical hum and a mighty whoosh, the hatches in the nose and tail opened to let in the wind.

As the witches throttled up their engines, blue magic circles formed beneath them, and they were soon ready for launch. Lidiya taxied her Su-47 over a small catapult, placed her wheels its saddle, gave the "ready" sign to the deck officer, and prepared for take-off. Returning her signal with a nod, the deck officer turned to the deckhand manning the catapult controls and signaled for him to power it up. Feeding more power into her engines, Lidiya braced for the jolt. Launching off of an aerial carrier like this Antonov was risky business. If anything went awry, the plane could be damaged and possibly crash with all aboard killed. So everyone had to be very careful.

With the catapult at sufficient power, the deck officer gave the command to launch. Lidiya went from 0 miles-per-hour to take-off speed in just a few seconds, and soon she was in the air banking to the right to wait for Vera. Once she saw the characteristic diamond-shaped wings of Vera's T-50, they formed up. "Ready to go," Lidiya asked her through the intercom.

"Yeah," came Vera's response. Flipping down their head-mounted display screens, they took on a northeasterly heading and opened the throttle. With the moon and stars illuminating the night sky, Lidiya's Su-47's unique black-painted shape was easily picked out, making it easy for Vera to keep track of her.

"Snow Goose, this is Nightjar 1, designated Garid, checking in, over," said Vera to Snow Goose through her intercom.

"Snow Goose, this is Nightjar 2, designated Siren, checking in, over," said Lidiya, also to Snow Goose.

"Nightjar 1, Garid, and Nightjar 2, Siren, roger. You are clear to head to your station and begin patrol. Good luck, over," said Snow Goose.

"Snow Goose, Nightjar 1, roger that. Thank you, over." With that, Vera and Lidiya peeled off from the Antonov and took a northeasterly heading. The night sky was clear of clouds and stretched out over the sleeping villages of Western Orussia. Despite it being summer, the extreme altitudes at which the girls were flying made it very cold. Magic fields and uniform coats may help to keep them warm, but they still felt it a little bit.

"Sure is cold today," said Vera, "But man, you can never beat a view like this."

"Yeah," said Lidiya. She felt a song coming on, but she resisted the temptation. "I'd like to sing right now to pass the time, but I don't think that would be the best idea."

"Why? What could happen," asked Vera.

"I could take over your mind and make you do my bidding."

"Oh…..So your ability is mental manipulation?"

"Yup."

"Hoho, impressive."

"Thanks. What's yours?"

"I've got magic eyes. I can activate both my eyes at will, so I don't need an eyepatch."

"Oh, wow, that's awesome."

"Thanks!"

Their conversation was cut short by a young male voice in their intercom singing "Die Wacht am Rhein", a Karlsland patriotic anthem. He sounded really good; the only problem was that they were on a mission, and singing might choke up the airwaves. So Vera decided to say something. "Hey, would whoever's singing on the radio save it for the ground? We gotta keep these airwaves free in case an urgent message needs to get through."

"Sorry," apologized the male voice, "It's just so quiet and boring when you've got the redeye shift. Gotta do something to stay awake. Hello, madam, this is Oka Nieba. I have you on our screens as Nightjar 1 and 2. By any chance, would you ladies be our witch escorts for the next couple of hours?"

"That's us," Lidiya said, "I'm Lt. Lidiya Litvyak, and you were just talking to Sr. Lt. Vera Choibalsan. You can call me Siren and Vera Garid."

"Roger that, Siren," said Oka Nieba, "Hey, you guys are Orussians, huh? You know, 'Oka Nieba' is – "

"I know, I know, it means 'Sky Eye' in our language," said Vera. Oka Nieba started to laugh.

"Alrighty, ladies, you know how this works. I point out Neuroi, and you take them out. Ok, form up on me." By that time, Vera and Lidiya had gotten a visual on Oka Nieba's aircraft, a Boeing E-3A Sentry. With its massive rotating rotodome on top, it was able to scan wide swaths of airspace to detect Neuroi and human movements, covering more area than Snow Goose's air traffic radar. The girls formed up, each taking a position on one of the Sentry's wings.

Oka Nieba is part of a world-spanning network of AWACS aircraft that patrol the skies 24-7. Because the Neuroi hold space supremacy, humanity's attempts to launch any satellites into orbit continuously failed. So, their next best solution was to use the AWACS planes with their huge dishes to fill in where needed, communicating with military forces and tracking for Neuroi appearances. Boeing E-3s were commonly used over the US and Europe, Beriev A-50s and A-100s were seen over Orussia and the Middle East, KJ-2000s and E-767s were seen over China and the Far East, and Grumman E-2s and Yakovlev Yak-44s launched from aircraft carriers were used over the vast oceans. While it was quite costly due to the higher need for fuel and maintenance for these planes, the important thing was that for now, humanity could have worldwide radar coverage. Oka Nieba's particular station was over Western Orussia, flying out of a base in Karlsland.

For the first 30 minutes or so, nothing was happening. Oka Nieba went back to singing "Die Wacht am Rhein". He decided to try and teach the words to the song to Vera and Lidiya; Vera caught on quick, but Lidiya decided to opt out, reasserting that her ability would probably compromise the mission. Oka Nieba's voice was really something though, and he and Vera harmonized well. Suddenly, he stopped singing. "Nightjar, I'm picking up some bogeys on the radar," he said, his voice suddenly becoming serious, "They're Arion fighters. Heading looks to be about southwest of us. Ah! Isn't your Snow Goose over there?! They're refueling! They'll get obliterated! Nightjar, move to intercept. Quickly!"

"Understood," said Vera, "Divert Snow Goose and the tanker, and get them away from there as quickly as possible. Lidiya, let's go!"

"Roger," said Lidiya. Both girls formed up and opened the throttle to maximum speed. As they flew, they rechecked their weapons once more, ensuring that they wouldn't jam upon firing. "Finally, some action," said Lidiya excitedly.

"Nightjar, this is Oka Nieba. You should be getting close to the Arions. Engage at will."

"Roger, Oka Nieba," said Vera. Closing her eyes and concentrating, she activated her Magic Eyesight ability, and when her eyes opened, they glowed a Violet color. Augmented by her Striker's integrated sensors, she scanned the piece of sky in front of them, looking through the clouds and darkness before finally getting a visual on the squadron of eight delta-shaped Arion-class fighters. "I've got visual now with my ability. Lidiya, arm your missiles, and fire as soon as you have a lock."

When they armed their missiles, a crosshair showed up on their HMD screens, and the seeker tone began to beep into their ears. Immediately, the little sensors in the missiles' noses reached out into the night, looking for a target to lock on to. As the girls adjusted their positions to lock up, the beeps started getting faster and faster until the missiles found their lock and shrieked a solid shrill tone. With the tone screaming in her headset and the crosshairs focused on a distant Arion, Vera shouted, "Garid, Fox Three!" A hatch opened up on her Striker, revealing the sleek shape of an R-77M missile. In a split second, the missile jettisoned from its clamps, fired up its rocket booster, and shot off into the night.

"Siren, Fox Three," said Lidiya. A hatch opened up on her Striker, revealing the slightly chubbier but just as sleek shape of an R-37 missile. It soon shot off into the night behind Vera's R-77M. Flying at Mach 6, the missiles quickly found their targets and impacted, obliterating the unlucky Arions. The other six Arions broke formation and flew in all directions, intent on finding their attackers. However, Vera's and Lidiya's Striker shapes and paint ensured that they were not found out. "Woohoo! Two bandits down," Lidiya cheered.

"Good work," said Vera, "Now let's mop up the rest." They switched to their guns. Grabbing her OSV-96, Vera lined up an Arion through her scope; her magic eyes still active, she zeroed in on the gleaming red core. She fired off a round, and a 12.7mm bullet cut through the core like a hot knife through butter. With the core destroyed, its Neuroi owner exploded into fragments. By now, the remaining Arions were maneuvering all over the place and became too hard to fire single shots at, so Vera switched to her RPK-74. Yanking the bolt back to cock it, she aimed at another Arion, squeezing off a short burst. The little Neuroi fighter proved a hard target, and it easily dodged the fusillade.

Meanwhile, Lidiya was having a whale of a time. She was employing quick passes on her hapless prey, flying in fast and letting loose with her VSS. Her target never saw her coming and was quickly destroyed. However, another Arion had taken her tail. It launched a missile, and a different kind of tone screamed into Lidiya's headset. "Aw, dammit," she shouted, "I've got a missile on my tail!" She broke into a hard right, dumping chaff and flares to try and break the Neuroi missile's lock.

"Hang on," said Vera, "I'll get that bastard for you!" She switched back to her missiles and locked an R-73 heat-seeker onto Lidiya's assailant. When she heard the growl of a good lock, she shouted, "Garid, Fox Two!" The missile ejected from its bay and rocketed towards the Arion. The enemy fighter broke off its attack and tried to evade the missile. Vera shot at it with her RPK to foil its escape. Dodging both the missile and her salvo, it answered with its own weapons, firing off bursts of lasers in her direction. Vera blocked the bolts with her shield and responded in kind with her RPK. This time, she did score some hits, and the Arion fighter was pockmarked with holes and began trailing fragments. It quickly began to regenerate. Using her magic eyes, she located the core and fired a longer burst, running the 75-round drum dry. Her bullets opened up a larger hole over the core. Expelling the spent drum and hammering in another, she cocked the gun and fired some more, obliterating the core and its owner. She rolled over to check on Lidiya.

Having successfully evaded the missile, Lidiya was back in action. The last three Arions had surrounded her in a wagon wheel maneuver, firing salvos of laser bolts at her. She blocked every attack with her shields and answered with her AS VAL. All of her shots were hitting, but they weren't inflicting effective damage to the fighters, so she switched tactics and started to sing. Her enthralling voice echoed across the night sky, and her eyes seemed to glow, just like they did with Nina. The song sounded slow, soft, and sad yet beautiful at the same time. Vera was unaffected this time thanks to the noise-cancelling feature on her headsets that protected witches ears from loud outside noises. As Lidiya's voice reached the Arions, however, they stopped shooting lasers and began to lower their speed, flying as if in a trance. When she flew towards Vera, they followed her, maintaining their slow orbit. They were completely under her control. Admiring her work, Lidiya placed her hands on her hips and said, "Look, Vera, I've made some new friends."

"Whoa," exclaimed Vera, "That is so weird. How'd you do that?"

"Well, you know how I told you that my singing always had this weird effect on people? When I use my magic, this effect is magnified, allowing me to do things like take control of people. It also works on Neuroi."

"Guess that's why they call you 'Siren.'"

"Yup! Now watch this."

Lidiya started singing again; only this time, her song sounded louder and more aggressive. All at once, the Arions powered up their lasers. Vera freaked out and cast another shield. Her fears were unrealized as the Arions fired their lasers at _each other_ , and with that, the Neuroi squadron was quickly destroyed. The two girls cheered to their victory, and Vera got on the radio to inform Oka Nieba of their success. "Oka Nieba, this is Nightjar 1. We've neutralized all threats and are heading back to you now."

"Hahaha! Well done, Nightjar," said Oka Nieba. After a while, the two girls formed back up on the AWACS plane, and they started up a new song. And so, the night patrol continued with the sound of two voices filling the night sky. Lidiya, barring herself from singing some more, was feeling a little left out.

"Maybe next time, I'll bring my clarinet, so I can actually join in," said Lidiya semi-dejectedly. Vera and Oka Nieba laughed.

* * *

0600 hours, July 7, 2015

Approaching RAF Coningsby

Makoa's eyes snapped wide open at 6:00am on the dot. She was half-expecting to see a drill-sergeant yelling all manner of expletives in her face – a not-so-fond memory of hers from basic training. She tried to get up out of the chair she was sleeping in, but her right arm was caught on something. Any attempts to wriggle it loose only trapped her in more tightly, and the moans of quiet protest rose up from the seat beside her. Looking to her right, she saw a bundle wrapped in a blanket clinging itself to her sleeping peacefully. "Mmm, Makoa-san, you're so warm," it was mumbling, "Don't go yet. The pony at the stable's gonna…." It would've continued, but then it started kissing her arm.

 _Alrighty, this is officially getting awkward,_ Makoa thought, cringing. She decided she was going to go for it and free herself from this bundle's vice-like hold. She shook her arm violently and said, "Hey, Kaminari. Wake up!" Then she stood up and yanked her arm out from Kaminari's grip. Losing the support on which she was putting all her weight, Kaminari's head fell down, and she snapped awake with a squeal.

"Uwah! What happened? Where am I," she said, alert yet still sleepy.

"You were sleeping on my bad arm, man," said Makoa, slightly annoyed, "And were you kissing it?"

"Um….no."

"What the heck were you dreaming about?"

"Um…..uh….I don't remember."

"What's going on now," asked Lidiya. She and Vera had just returned from their night patrol, and had come in to hear the tail-end of the conversation.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Makoa, "Kaminari here was having a weird dream."

"Oh?" said Vera, "What was it about."

"I…can't remember," lied Kaminari.

"Hmmmm," said Lidiya, "Anyway, how's your arm doing?"

"It's doing alright so far," said Makoa, showing the fresh magic bandage Kaminari applied the night before.

"That's good," said Lidiya, "Come on, help me wake everyone up. The captain said we're getting close to RAF Coningsby, so we should start getting ready."

"Okay," said Makoa. Arranged in a lounge format with couches and tables on one end and fold-out bunks on the other, it could've passed as a luxurious first-class cabin had it not been for the Spartan military look to the furniture. Sprawled throughout were the sleeping forms of the other eight witches. Makoa, Kaminari, Lidiya, and Vera moved throughout the cabin, shaking and waking them all up. Once everyone was awake, each girl took turns in the bathroom to get ready and into their uniforms until all twelve were ready to go. Since they were not going in their Strikers, Anko did not put on her miko uniform; instead she wore the same light-green FASDF uniform and darker-green tie as Miyuki along with her black fingerless gloves.

"Alrighty, said Vera, "Captain says we're descending, so let's get our stuff together so we can disembark quickly once we land."

"Okay," said everyone. They put away their nightclothes and hygiene kits in their packs and zipped them closed, placing them back into the closet. With that done, they returned to their places on the couches and pulled out the built-in seatbelts to strap in for landing.

Out in the cockpit, the copilot was running through the landing checks to make sure that everything was working smoothly and would remain so upon landing, and the captain contacted the base's tower to request permission to land. Upon receiving the affirmative, he turned to the copilot and gave the go-ahead to lower the flaps and landing gear. With a small mechanical whine, the flaps angled downward, and twelve pairs of wheels extended from the belly of the humongous jet and locked into place with a click. They were now ready.

Slowly pushing back the throttle, the pilot expertly glided the big plane into a perfect landing position, touching the rear wheels down onto the tarmac with the slightest bump. Then, he rotated the nose down, opened the brake flaps, and hit the thrust reversers, throttling up once more to slow the plane's roll. After they slowed to a satisfactory speed, they taxied off the runway and followed a guide vehicle to their parking spot in front of the hangars. After about five minutes, the pilot parked, switched off the engines, and the deck officer opened the rear ramp. Trucks drove in to load up the heavy Strikers and weapons with the help of the plane's built-in crane.

Meanwhile in the passenger cabin, the girls were grabbing all of the belongings they took with them. Then, they headed down the staircase and into the flight deck. Passing the trucks loading their equipment, they waved goodbye to the flight crew and exited the aircraft. Waiting for them was a witch with platinum-blonde hair and wearing the light-blue uniform of the Suomus Air Force. Lidiya immediately recognized the girl and ran over to her, giving her a big hug. The rest of the girls were surprised. The Suomi wasn't. "What's going on, cousin," she said good-naturedly.

"Cousin," asked the others in disbelief.

"Yup," said Lidiya with a big grin, "Everyone, I'd like you all to meet Dorotea Juutilainen, also known as 'DJ.' She's my cousin."

"Hello, everyone," said DJ with a funky grin.

"Hey, Lidiya," said a strange voice that sounded just like DJ's, "Who exactly are you hugging there?"

"Eh?" Lidiya spun around, and saw _another DJ_. "Wha….?"

The DJ next to Lidiya began to laugh mischievously, and then it disappeared with a burst and a cloud. Everyone was shocked, including Lidiya. With a chortle and a snort, the real DJ laughed and said, "Got you all good, didn't I?"

"Aw, dammit, DJ," said Lidiya, "What the hell was that for? You know I fall for that trick everytime!"

"I'm sorry, Lidiya. Come on, bring it in."

"Jeez, you're such a jerk," said Lidiya, but she was no longer angry and accepted DJ's hug.

"Man, I feel like I've been bear-hugged twice," said DJ afterwards, rubbing her shoulders and stretching her back.

"Well, that's what you get for using your clones," said Lidiya.

"It was still worth it, though," DJ responded with a laugh, "Hey, everyone; I'm Lt. Dorotea Juutilainen. Call me DJ." She casted eleven more clones and exchanged introductions simultaneously with the eleven other witches. In just a few moments, she had everyone's name and general information memorized. Dispersing her clones, DJ closed her eyes for a bit. "Wow," she finally said, "That is _a lot_ of information to hit me all at once. My hand feels really, really warm. Must be all the handshakes I was giving. Some of you guys have got a mean grip."

Lidiya elbowed her cousin good-naturedly and said, "So, are we just gonna stand here awkwardly, or are we gonna get going?"

"Yes, of course," said DJ, "Follow me everyone. I'll take you to the Captain, and maybe give you a little tour as we walk. You can leave your things with the trucks; the guys will know where to put them. Just don't forget your transfer orders."

Leaving their packs by the trucks but grabbing the folders containing their orders, the witches followed after DJ. Makoa walked up next to Lidiya and said, "Your cousin is really something."

"Ehe, don't worry too much about it," said Lidiya, "She's actually a really nice person."

"And so beautiful, too. I guess it runs in the family," said Makoa with a wink and a nudge. Lidiya blushed a little bit.

Behind them, unknown to anyone, Kaminari felt a little sting in her heart. She wasn't sure if Makoa was serious or if she was only joking. _Could it be that I have rivals for Cdr. Anabuki's affections,_ she thought. _If so, I cannot lose to them._

Suddenly, two huge sonic booms reverberated across the sky, followed by the loud report of Striker etherjet engines. Frantically looking around, the girls' gazes fell on two witches rocketing through the air. Pretty soon, the witches were little more than distant dots. Almost everybody stood shocked, surprised at how quickly those two witches disappeared into the horizon. Only DJ looked into the sky without showing any interest. "At it again, are they," she commented offhandedly, "Those two speed demons are Myah Lucchini of the Romagnan Air Force and Kelly Johnson of the USAF. They always compete to see who's the fastest. Don't they know that Yeager's already got them both beaten?"

"Yeager," asked Anko.

"Yeah, Major Carly E. Yeager," said DJ, "She's in a different squadron that's stationed here with us. She's got an FR-71 and the Speed Boost magic ability, so she's already hit Mach 4. She's the fastest person alive."

"Mach 4," exclaimed the witches.

"Yup," said Juutilainen.

As they left the hangars and entered the common area, DJ started giving the tour. "There's the barracks and residential area. And there's the general store. And over there is the clinic. There's a witch with healing powers working there, a real charmer, that one."

"Um, excuse me, um, DJ-san," said Kaminari, "Did you say there's a witch with healing powers here already?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, uh….you see…..I'm a healer witch, too…..but since there's already one here, well…" Kaminari hung her head.

"Hey now, Kaminari. Cheer up. We're not gonna send you back. Not after we went through the trouble to bring you over. Maybe you two will get along." DJ walked over to Kaminari and brought her head back up. "Hey, aren't you that one witch who can infuse bandages with healing magic?"

"Oh, well, yes," said Kaminari, her mood lightening, "That's me."

"See? There you go. The witch we've got right now can't do that. Maybe you could teach her?"

"Ok."

"What is all this racket," said a voice coming from the right, "You woke me up from my nap."

"Oh, what are you huffing about for," said another, "You aren't supposed to be sleeping on my head, anyway."

The group turned to look at the voices' source and beheld a particularly tall figure. It turned out to be two girls, with one sitting atop the other's shoulders. The rider looked as small as a child, with very long black hair dyed pink-blonde at the tips and a baseball cap. She beheld the new group with a sleepy-eyed expression. The ride, on the other hand, was quite tall with tannish-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, a slightly-burnt baseball cap, and a scar over most of the right side of her face that reached over her eye. "So, you lot are the ones who just flew in, huh? Nice to meet you all. I'm Gracie Bishop of the Fleet Air Arm. This 'Sleeping Beauty' on my head is Azalea Nakamura."

"I can introduce myself, you know," said Azalea, "Can you let me down so I can say hi properly?" Standing on her own two feet, the girls saw how short she really was. Extending her hand, she said, "Hello. I'm Lt. Col. Azalea Nakamura, leader of Chimera Team. Despite my height, I'm actually 18." She shook hands with every witch in the group, and then returned to her place on Gracie's shoulders. "Okay, bye-bye then, and it was nice to meet you all," she said as they left.

The group continued on, finally arriving in front of the headquarters building. They noticed three witches exiting it. DJ pointed two of them out to Lidiya. "Check out who's also here," she said to her, "it's Anna and Katya."

Lidiya immediately recognized the girl with the short red hair and peaked cap, and the other girl with the red-tipped white hair and white rose hairclip, as her half-sisters. She ran over and embraced both girls. The third girl was a little surprised at what was happening, and she was feeling a little left out; but she guessed they were family, so she didn't bother to ask for a hug, too.

When Lidiya finally released the other two, she said to them, "Hey, Anna and Katya. What are you guys doing all the way in Britannia?"

"We could ask you the same thing," said the girl known as Anna, "We're here as part of a squadron based out of here. The 413th Joint Tactical Fighter Squadron, to be exact. What about you?"

"I'm going into the 815th Joint Air Wing with DJ."

"Hey, that's where I'm transferring in, too," said the third girl. She had a light tan, short black messy hair, brown eyes, and a sky-blue bandana tied around her neck. She held out her hand and said, "Hello, my name is Katrina Khadijah binti Adam of the Royal Malayan Air Force."

Lidiya shook her hand and said, "Lidiya E. Litvyak of the Orussian Air Force."

"And, ladies, here we are at the end of our tour, the headquarters building, also called Building 1," said DJ. By this time, the rest of the group had caught up to Lidiya, Anna, Katya, and Katrina. "Hey, Anna. Hey, Katya. Hey, Katrina. How are you fine ladies doing this morning?"

"We're good," said Katya, "How come you didn't tell us that Lidiya was flying in?"

"Surprise? Ehe," said DJ with a sheepish smile and jazz-hands.

"Well, you got me," said Katya. Facing the group, she began introductions, "I'm Yekaterina Viernya Litvyak von Wilke of the Orussian Air Force."

"She was the test pilot for the Su-47," said Lidiya.

Anna was next, "Hello," she said with a tip of her cover, "I'm Anna Dietlinde Litvyak von Wilke of the Luftwaffe. Nice to meet you all."

Finally, it was Katrina's turn. Throwing up a piece sign, she said, "Hey, everyone. Name's Katrina Khadijah binti Adam. I'm from the Royal Malayan Air Force. I'm not part of the 413th; I'm gonna transfer into the 815th with you guys."

"Nice to meet you all," said Anko, "I am Anabuki Anko of the Fuso Air Self-Defense Force."

"Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki," said Makoa, "You can just call me Makoa. I'm from the US Navy."

"Wanna run that name by me again there, Makoa," asked Katrina uncomfortably.

"Makoa, Nani, Keikilani, Koa, Anabuki," said Makoa, breaking it down, "Don't worry too much about it. Just call me Makoa."

"So, Makoa," said Anna, "You and Anko share last names, but you're from different countries. Are you two related at all?"

"Oh, yes," said Makoa, "Anko and I are twins." At that moment, the twins broke into some sort of routine, in which they side-fived, then backhand-fived, then joined their hands together by the thumbs to make a bird-shape, then they flapped their fingers, before finally turning around back-to-back with their hands still joined. Once that was all done, they held that pose and looked at each other with a smile.

"Whoa," said Anna, "that was pretty awesome. Hey, we should try something like that, Katya and Lidiya. What do you guys think?"

"Maybe," said Katya.

"That's sounds like a good idea," said Lidiya.

The introductions continued. Lijuan stepped forward and gave hers in sign-language, which Meifeng translated. "This is 1st Lt. Zhu Lijuan of the Republic of China Air Force," she said, fidgeting nervously with her glasses, "I'm, uh, Sun Meifeng. Ah! I forgot to say my rank. Um, it's, uh, Republic of China Naval Air F – Ah! That's not….right…haaaaaah…" Her voice trailed off as she looked down with sad eyes. Lijuan gave her a reassuring hug, and she tried again, "Ahem, I'm Ensign Sun Meifeng of the Republic of China Naval Air Force."

"I'm Vera Natalia Choibalsan of the Orussian Air Force," said Vera.

"She and I had night patrol on the way here," said Lidiya, "She took down an Arion fighter that was on my tail."

"Well, you know those Neuroi can't resist such a lovely young lady like yourself," said Anna poking Lidiya in the side. Introductions continued, and soon were complete. "It is nice to meet you all," said Anna, "A shame none of you guys get to be in the 413th. Anyway, we should get going. We've gotta get you to your med-exam, Katrina."

"Oh, yeah, huh," said Katrina absent-mindedly, "See you guys later!" They gave one final wave and then headed off to the clinic.

"Well then," said DJ, "Best not to keep the CO waiting any longer." Everyone nodded in agreement and entered Building 1. Walking up a flight of stairs, they made it to the 815th JAW office and opened the door. Inside was young lady in her late teens sitting at a desk and filling out paperwork; she had curly dirty blonde hair that came down to the middle of her back and wore a Gallian Navy uniform consisting of a white collared shirt, a white skirt, white gloves, a black tie, and black leggings along with a blue coat with a Captain's rank and fringe on the shoulders and sleeves. Assisting her with this paperwork was another lady also in her late teens; she had shorter wavy brown hair that was tied into two tails by black ribbons and wore a Karlsland Luftwaffe uniform consisting of a white collared shirt, red tie, and grey coat with the collar and lapels colored black with white outlines. The new witches fell into line, stood at attention, and snapped crisp salutes.

"Captain Daigneau," said DJ, "Here are the new witches who just flew in from the Far East."

Capt. Daigneau looked up from her work and scanned the line of witches in front of her. She cracked a soft smile and said, "At ease, girls, at ease. Bring your orders forward individually please."

The witches relaxed and came forward one-by-one to present their transfer orders. Daigneau opened each folder and read through the orders, signing each one with a pen. Once she was done, she stacked them in a pile and gave them to the girl next to her. "Lt. Col. Kleinheyer, would you please make copies of these documents for our records?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Kleinheyer. Holding the stack of twelve folders with both hands, she couldn't reach the door, so DJ got it for her. Thanking her, Kleinheyer exited, and DJ closed the door.

Getting up out of her chair, Capt. Daigneau walked over to the front of her desk and leaned back on it. "Hello, everyone, I am Capt. Maia Daigneau, your new CO. Don't worry too much about rank or anything. In fact, you can just call me Maia or by my nickname, 'Curly.' Pleased to meet you all and I hope you'll enjoy your stay with us…..That….was awkward, sorry. Ehehe. Please bear with me; I just graduated from Officer Training. Just, uh, good to have you aboard. Heh."

There was a knock at the door, and DJ went to open it. Kleinheyer entered with the stack of folders she had originally left with. Coming in behind her was another figure carrying another stack of papers. The figure looked like a shadow, complete with arms, legs, hands, and feet. It even had what looked like hair and teal-colored animal-ear-shaped extensions on its head. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a witch that forgot to de-fuse with its familiar. Except, it wasn't it human at all. It was –

"A Neuroi!" shouted the new girls. They grabbed Kleinheyer and pulled her behind them, staying in between her and the witch-looking Neuroi and causing her to drop all of the folders she was carrying. All twelve girls had fused with their familiars and were ready to battle with the Neuroi-witch. The Neuroi-witch had thrown its hands into the air, dropping the stack of papers it was holding. Tensions had suddenly gotten high.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys calm down," said Maia, "It's fine, X-626 is not gonna hurt us."

"Captain, all due respect, but what exactly are you saying," said Anko, "That's a Neuroi. Of course it's gonna hurt us."

"No, no, seriously. X-626 is a defector. It's on our side."

"Wait, what," said Ludmila incredulously.

"Seriously?" said Marie-Rose.

"Yes. 626 is a friendly," said Maia, "Well, since they're here, I'll introduce you all." Pointing to Kleinheyer, she continued, "This is Lt. Col. Stefanie Kleinheyer, your XO. Say hi, Stefanie."

"Hello," said Stefanie. The girls immediately stood down and scrambled to help her pick up all of the fallen papers and folders, reorganizing them back to their original forms. "Thank you," she said.

"And this is X-626, our Neuroi defector," said Maia, pointing to the Neuroi-witch, "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Hello," said X-626 in a high-pitched robotic voice that sounded oddly cute, "I have no real name – Neuroi have no concept of such a thing. But humans call me X-626, so I guess that's my name. Is this a normal human greeting in your sector of the world?"

"Not usually," said Makoa, "So, 626, huh? I saw a movie that had an alien experiment numbered 626. Unfortunately, the experiment was a guy. He did make a human friend named Lilo. How would you like that for a name?"

"Hm, Lilo," mused X-626, "It has a pretty nice ring to it. Thanks!" With that, it walked over to Makoa and gave her a tight hug, lifting her a good few inches off the ground. Anko and Kaminari tensed up a little bit.

"Ah, hey, Lilo, choking, not breathing," struggled Makoa.

"Oops, hehe," said the newly-named Lilo as it released Makoa from her embrace, "I don't know my own strength." It appeared to look saddened.

"Eh, nevah mine," said Makoa, stretching her arms and cracking her back, "I'm good. I'm fine. I'm Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki, and this is my sister, Anko."

"Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki," said Lilo effortlessly, "Very interesting name."

"…You got my name spot-on in the first try," said an astonished Makoa, "No one. No one has gotten my name right on the first try…."

"The one good thing about being a Neuroi researcher is that I get accelerated data processors. In other words, I'm a fast learner and a master memorizer."

"You know, no offense, but it's kinda hard to take you seriously when you've got a voice like that," said Ludmila chuckling.

"Sorry," said Lilo, "Britannian is a second language for me. Definitely beats screaming like a maniacal machination."

Stefanie directed everyone's attention back to the CO. By now, Maia had signed and filled out the transfer papers, and was filling out twelve more slips of paper. Once she was done, she said, "Okay, girls, your transfer orders have been processed, and I have also scheduled you all for medical examinations tomorrow." She handed everyone back their folders, one of the slips of paper she was filling out, and two 815th JAW unit patches. It was shaped like a normal unit patch with a Gallian Horn on top of a globe and a larger compass rose, with crossed witch brooms underneath, all in a sky-blue background; on the top banner was "815th Joint Air Wing" and on the bottom banner were the words "The Musician Witches". The other one was similarly designed, but everything was in different shades of tan and brown with black outlines. "Bring those medical exam sheets with you when you go see Lt. Clostermann," said Maia, "Welcome to the Musician Witches. Now fall in!" The twelve witches fell back in line and stood at attention, the slightest hint of proud smiles on their faces. Then, Maia said, "Dismissed." She was beaming proudly towards the new additions of her first ever command. The girls snapped quick salutes, which Maia, Stefanie, and even Lilo returned. They then fell out and exited the CO's office, again escorted by DJ.

Once they left, Maia pumped her fists into the air and did a little dance back to her desk. Stefanie and Lilo looked at her, surprised. "What's gotten you into such a good mood," asked Stefanie.

"Why shouldn't I be excited," said Maia, "The 815th is my first command, and now it's complete. I am the CO of a complete unit. Plus, tonight's Open Mic Night. And you know what that means?"

"Oh, right," said Stefanie, "Hehe."

"This is why humans are so much more fun than Neuroi," said Lilo.

* * *

1800 hours, July 7, 2015

RAF Coningsby

That night, everyone in the 815th Joint Air Wing and 413th Joint Tactical Fighter Squadron was in the mess hall. The galley staff had prepared a buffet of various roast meats, fried chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbages, onions, corn on and off the cob, and rice. There was also a soup and salad bar, pasta station, and dessert station. All around, the witches engaged each other in conversations spanning various topics. Johnson, Lucchini, and Yeager were all talking about how to milk every last ounce of power out of their Strikers' engines to get more speed. Azalea was sleepily eating her food, looking like she was about to pass out into it; Gracie was doing all she could to prevent that from happening.

Since they were still unfamiliar with everyone, the new girls decided to stick together, so when they had gotten their food, they looked for a spot big enough to fit all twelve of them. Scanning the mess hall, their eyes fell on Katrina, DJ, and the von Wilke sisters beckoning them over to their table, and made their way over to them. There were just enough chairs to fit them all, and they were glad. Once they sat down, they proceeded to dig in. The food was pretty tasty, and everyone was busy enjoying the food to talk. Finally, Anna decided to break the silence. "So, Makoa and Anko, you say you were twins," she said, "How did you two come to be from two different countries?"

"Mm, yes, that's an interesting story," said Makoa, and she began. "I'd grown up in Hawaii all my life, and the whole time, Dad never said anything about Mom or the existence of another twin. So, I grew up thinking I was an only child. Then, when my magic manifested itself – which is another story I will have to save for later – Dad encouraged me to enlist in the US Navy as a Witch. Once I completed flight training, top brass thought I was really skilled, so they threw me right into the Blue Witches aerobatic team. I did a good number of shows with them, but I wanted to be in a real squadron. So they put me in to transfer to VFA-102, which was based in NAF Atsugi all the way in Fuso.

"So I pack my stuff, say goodbye to Dad, and moved to Fuso. I was there for about three years, when all of a sudden, Kaminari tells me about this rumor floating around that there's this really famous witch with the same name as me. I was all like, 'Haaaah?' and looked my name up on the internet. Finding only stuff about my time in the Blue Witches, I figured that whoever started the rumor got confused and thought that the Makoa Anabuki in the Blue Witches was a different person than the Makoa Anabuki in VFA-102. But then, I came across an article about this witch called 'The One-Winged Angel of Fuso', and my last name was in it. So I searched up just 'Anabuki', and lo-and-behold, the same article appeared underneath another one about this girl named Anko. I clicked on the article, and saw a picture of her. She looked exactly like me. So I thought, 'Could this girl be a twin of mine?' Then, I noticed she was going to make a publicity appearance in Tokyo, so I grabbed Kaminari and Miyuki and we all hopped a train to Tokyo to meet this Anko.

"When I got there, there was choke people, a whole bunch. When she finally appeared, it was like looking at a mirror, except she was paler, had longer hair, and no glasses. When she started signing autographs, I shoved my way through the vast sea of fangirls to meet her. She passed me off as some extra-passionate fan and went on her way. 'What a jerk,' I thought. So, we went back home."

"Hey, you may have looked similar to me," interjected Anko, "But not enough for me to prompt a second look. I was bogged with all those fans, remember? Plus, you were in civilian clothes."

"Yeah, whatever," said Makoa, chuckling and poking her twin good-naturedly, "If you can manage to fly with one wing, then you surely could've easily managed that fangirl army." She continued her story, "Few months later, the Friendship Day festival to celebrate Fuso-Liberion relations was happening on the base, and Kaminari and I were put on the board to perform an aerobatic display. I also found out that the other Anabuki girl was gonna be there. So I thought to myself, 'wait until she sees what I can do. I'll show her that I'm not just some fangirl. I mean, who can say that they were a part of the greatest air display team in the world?'"

Makoa turned to Anko and said, "I think this is the part where you take over."

"Ok," said Anko, "So, I'd also heard of another rumor floating around that NAF Atsugi had a witch with the same name as me. I wanted to find out for myself, so I arranged to make an appearance there, and they put me down for a Friendship Day performance. So, when I get to NAF Atsugi, I was told that I was to go after another dual display. As I was preparing my Strikers and equipment for my display, I heard the announcer on the speakers say, 'To honor Fuso's relations with the United States of Liberion, FMSDF witch Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu Kaminari and US Navy witch Cdr. Makoa Anabuki will be performing for us.' The first name didn't ring any familiar bells to me, but the second one did, since it was my last name. I was dumbfounded. I thought they mixed up the script for my performance. 'It couldn't possibly be my rumored twin! Did they get my name wrong or something? And since when was I part of the US Navy?' As I went over to correct the issue, two witches lifted off from the runway, pitched up steeply, and accelerated. It was a pretty impressive starting maneuver.

"After a few passes, the ground crew had set up a huge Neuroi-shaped balloon. As I was wondering what in the world they would need a balloon like that for, they mention that other Anabuki again, saying that she was gonna display 'one of the greatest abilities to ever be bestowed on a witch,' according to the announcer. So, the Liberion witch flew in and went into a standing hover. Then, her hands and arms started to glow. I was expecting it to be some shield attack, so I was unimpressed at first. But then two bright blue beams shot out of her hands, obliterating the balloon. I was astonished. I had never seen such an ability before. I thought to myself, 'I have to meet this girl.' After my performance, I had my chance. Weaving my way through the crowd, I finally found her and the girl they called Kaminari surrounded by little kids and fans all dying to get a picture with them. I eventually recognized her as the girl I brushed off when she tried to meet me back in Tokyo. I suddenly got nervous, and I was thinking that she wasn't going to be very nice to me. I decided to keep to the back, partially hoping she wouldn't notice, but she did."

Makoa took over again, picking up where Anko left off, "So in this sea of faces, I picked out one that looked particularly familiar to me. She had that familiar face and long hair, and I easily pegged her out as the one who brushed me off so brusquely. Being in a similar situation, only reversed, I was initially inclined to return the favor, but I decided against it, wanting to set a good example for the kids from the orphanage and daycare. So I looked at her and beckoned her forward. As she weaved her way through the people, they recognized who she was and began to swarm her too. I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to me, introducing myself with my full name.

"Initially, it seemed that she was astonished with my name's length, as any person would. But when she shakily introduced herself, I began to understand that her astonishment was more than just because of my long name. I had the random idea of asking when her birthday was, she said the same date that I was born on. We examined each other's facial features closely, and noticed that despite the differences in skin color, hair length, and glasses or lack of them, we practically had the same face. I was dumbfounded. So was she. We silently stared at each other for a long time, oblivious to Kaminari and the rest of the crowd doing the same thing. 'I think we might be twins,' I finally said. 'Yeah, I think so too,' she said. The crowd went crazy upon hearing this, and soon reporters started showing up to interview us. I planned to meet with her at the food court after the festival was over. Next day, the newspaper had 'Long-Lost Anabuki Twins Reunite' on the front page."

Anko took over once again, "We got to know a little more about each other at the food court. Once I got back to my base the next day, I phoned my mother and told her about all that transpired the day before. Mom fell silent, and I thought she hung up when I heard the phone fall and hit the floor. She quickly picked it back up, though, and immediately ordered me to get us both to visit her. So I arranged the meeting with Makoa, and she seemed excited about it. So after about a week, we both went to see Mom. When Mom saw Makoa, she started crying, and we both started to cry, too. We came over and hugged Mom very tightly. It was a pretty emotional moment." Anko had to pause because remembering that moment was choking her up.

Makoa tried to take over again, trying to speak between hiccups and sniffles, "So that evening, Mom cooked us dinner, and she laid out all of the details pertaining to our birth and separation. It seemed that she and Dad met when Dad was stationed out in Yokosuka. They fell in love, married, and Mom gave birth to us. Soon after our birth, they divorced and lost contact, and Dad took me back with him to Hawaii."

Anko was feeling better enough to finish off where Makoa left off, "Makoa and I soon grew very close, and we even convinced Mom and Dad to reconnect. They talk every now and then. By now, it's been a year since this all happened." When she finished, she looked over to Makoa, and she beamed a smile. "I'm glad we ran into each other all that time ago," she said.

"D'aw, you, come here," said Makoa, grabbing Anko for a big hug.

"Wow, that was quite the story," said Anna.

"Yeah, that part where you met your mom almost had me crying into my salad," said Katya.

At that moment, the Maia, Stefanie, a witch in a Hispanian Air Force uniform, and a witch in a USAF uniform walked into the mess hall. Someone noticed and immediately yelled, "ATTENTION! CAPTAIN ON DECK!" All at once, everyone save for Anna and Katya, who have higher ranks, stops eating and stands up straight at attention.

"At ease. You can be seated," commanded Maia. The girls relaxed and sat back down, turning their heads or chairs to face the Captain. She smiled to everyone, and began, "Good evening, everyone. I'm sure you have noticed by now that we have some new faces floating around the base today. They are new additions to the 815th JAW, and they just flew in this morning." Quiet conversation began to rise up from among the witches.

"Oooooh, new people," Myah Lucchini whispered to Johnson and Yeager, "I'll have to 'examine' them later, hehehe."

"Hey, quiet and pay attention," Johnson whispered back.

Maia held up a hand to quell the chatter and continued, "We've got four from Orussia, three from China, three from Fuso, and two from Liberion. So can I have the new girls stand up and introduce themselves? Also, as new Musician Witches, tell us your musical abilities." The twelve new girls looked among themselves, wondering who should go first. Makoa decided to go for it and stood up.

"Hi, I'm Cdr. Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki of the United States Navy; it's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm from Hawaii, so I can play ukulele, sing in both Britannian and Hawaiian, and dance the hula. I used to have a strong Pidgin accent, but it mellowed out because I've been stationed in Fuso." With that, she sat back down. Everyone looked astonished, possibly due to her name's length and how easily she said it.

Next to come up was, naturally, Anko. She cleared her throat, and began. "Hello, I'm Lt. Col. Anabuki Anko of the Fuso Air Self Defense Force. I can sing and play violin, viola, cello, and a little bit of ukulele. Makoa's been teaching me. Oh, and yes, Makoa and I are twin sisters." She bowed and finally said, "It is a pleasure to meet you all, and I look forward to working with you."

Quiet conversation once again rose up amongst the other witches, most likely focused on the fact that Makoa and Anko are twins despite coming from different places. Everyone quieted back down when Miyuki stood up. "Hello, I am Maj. Nagase Miyuki, also of the FASDF. I can sing and also did brief stints in a Taiko drum ensemble and a Fuso traditional instrument ensemble, so I can play the Taiko drums, the shamisen, the koto, and the shakuhachi." She, too, bowed and said, "Pleased to meet you all."

After Miyuki stood Kaminari, and she looked a bit nervous, but at the encouragement of the others, she spoke up. "Um, hi, my name is Sakomizu Kaminari, and I am a Lieutenant Commander in the Fuso Marine Self Defense Force. Um, I can sing a little bit, and I'm pretty good on the piano. I mostly like to play songs from videogames and anime." Like the two Fuso witches before her, she bowed, and said, "I am honored to be working with you all."

Next up was Lan. She bowed politely, and said, "Hi, I am Lt. Jin Lan of the Republic of China Naval Air Force. I am really good at breakdancing and beatboxing." With that, she began to sit back down, but she was getting looks from both Lijuan and Meifeng. Sighing, she stood back up and continued, "I can also sing and play the violin and viola." Finally done, she sat back down.

After Lan sat down, Meifeng and Lijuan stood up and bowed together. Lijuan, being mute, gave her introduction in sign language. Meifeng translated. "She says, 'Hello, I am 1st Lt. Zhu Lijuan of the Republic of China Air Force. I am mute, so I can't sing, but I can play violin. Nice to meet all of you.'" Finishing Lijuan's intro, Meifeng began her own, "I am Ensign Sun Meifeng, and like Lan, I am in the ROCNAF. I can sing and play piano and cello. It is nice to meet you all."

Then, Marie-Rose stood up to make her introduction. "Hi, everybody, I am Capt. Marie-Rose Boudreaux of the US Air Force. I come from New Orleans, and I love Jazz and Blues. I can also sing and play all types of saxophones."

Next stood Ludmila. "Hello, I am Lt. Ludmila Toscha Mijasik of the Orussian Air Force. I can sing and am really good on the snare. I played in my unit's marching band."

After Ludmila, Vera stood up. "Hello, everyone, I am Sr. Lt. Vera Natalia Choibalsan of the Orussian Air Force. I can regular sing as well as Tuvan Throat Sing. I can also play morin khuur, cello, and double bass."

Nina stood up next. "I am Capt. 1st Rank Nina Dina Denisova of the Orussian Navy. I can sing and play piano okay. I particularly like Orussian folk and classical songs."

Lidiya brought up the rear. "Hi, everybody, I am Lt. Lidiya E. Litvyak of the Orussian Air Force. I sing and can play clarinet, alto saxophone, and piano." With that, she sat back down.

With intros finally complete, Maia said, "And now, let's get this month's Open Mic Night started, shall we?" The whole room cheered.

"Open Mic Night," asked Lidiya.

"Yup, we hold it every month," said Katya.

"Oh."

The first performance was Lucchini on electric guitar and DJ on acoustic. "Hey everybody, I'm Myah Lucchini and DJ and I are gonna cover "Sugar Rush" for you guys." They began to play a simple melody on their guitars, and Myah sang with DJ harmonizing. It sounded really relaxing and nice, and once they were done, they received a huge applause.

"Hey, good job, DJ," said Lidiya as DJ came back to her seat, "That was awesome."

"Thanks," said DJ.

Next to perform was Gracie on harmonica. She began by playing a simple quiet blues song, but then she upped the volume and intensity and started to play and beatbox into the harmonica at the same time. She too, received huge applause. Marie-Rose and Lan were impressed. "Now that is some harmonica playing," said Marie-Rose.

"Yeah, and that beatboxing was pretty awesome, too," said Lan.

A few more witches from the 815th and some from the 413th also made performances, all getting applauses from the audience. Then, Maia came back to the stage, saying, "Good job all of you who performed tonight. That about wraps it up for the scheduled performances, but tonight's special, so we have a little surprise for you all. As the Musician Witches, it is customary among us that the newest additions perform for us on their first Open Mic Night. So girls, I am sorry, but despite having not known about this beforehand, you must all perform for us."

The girls nervously looked amongst themselves once more, not knowing what to do or who should go. Anna and Katya had an idea and started encouraging Anko and Makoa to start. They began to chant, "Ana-buki. Ana-buki. Ana-buki," quietly at first. Soon, the rest of the room began to catch on, and before the Anabukis knew it, everyone was chanting their name over and over again. Backed into a corner, they finally relented, asking for a quick moment to run to their rooms and grab their instruments. Earlier that day, DJ had shown them to their rooms, where the logistics staff had already put their bags. They returned a little while later with their ukuleles, and took the stage. Everyone cheered.

"Hey, Anko," said Makoa, "You still remember Hawaii 5-0?"

"Yeah," said Anko.

"Okay, let's play that."

"Alright."

Tapping the mic, Makoa said, "So, uh, hi everyone. I'm sure you guys already know our names, but we're gonna play Hawaii 5-0." Sitting down on the chairs set up there, they began to play. Anko handled the chords, while Makoa handled the strumming. Together, they sounded really great. Once they finished, everyone cheered loudly and gave them a standing ovation. The twins were touched. "Thanks, you guys," said Makoa. They bowed and exited.

"Dude, that was awesome," said Katrina.

"Yeah, you guys sounded great together," said Anna.

Next to muster up her courage was Vera. She left the hall and returned with a stringed instrument that had a long neck, two strings, an intricate design carved on the body, and a horse's head carved on the head. She sat down, placed the instrument on the space of chair in between her legs, and grabbed the microphone. "So, uh, hi guys. Um, this is the morin khuur. It's a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument. It's also called the 'Horsehead Fiddle' on account of the head often being shaped like a horse's head. So, uh, yeah, here goes." Taking her bow, she ran it across the two strings and began to play a slow, slightly melancholy melody. Once she had finished the last note, there was another standing ovation. Standing, she bowed, said thank you, and exited the stage.

Miyuki came next, taking the stage with a banjo-looking instrument with a pretty long skinny neck and three strings. She was also holding a huge wooden pick-looking object. "This is a shamisen, a Fusan instrument," she said, "It can be plucked, but I usually play it with this thing called a bachi." She held up the bachi to show what she was talking about. "Anyway, let's get started." She started playing a fast-paced and energetic song that got everyone pumped up for some reason. Even though it was a traditional Fusan instrument, Miyuki's song seemed to have something of a rock vibe to it. Once she was done, everyone was cheering for an encore, but she refused. Her fingers were really hurting from all that quick movement.

Nina, noticing that a nice piano was set up on-stage, decided to play a piano piece. She played an excerpt from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. Once she was done and the applause died down, Kaminari took the stage next. She sat at the piano and played a song she'd heard from an anime she'd recently been watching. Her fingers danced across the keys almost effortlessly, and once she was done, everyone was cheering. Lijuan, Meifeng, and Lan decided to all perform together, grabbing a violin, cello, and viola, respectively. They took to the stage, and began to play a nice relaxing classical song. Then, Marie-Rose performed a smooth jazz song on her alto saxophone. After her, Mijasik performed a routine on her snare drum, dancing her sticks effortlessly across the drum and through the air.

Finally, it was Lidiya's turn. Taking the stage, she brought the microphone to herself. She was had a dilemma; she knew that singing would probably lead to something weird, but her clarinet and saxophone were still en-route – she hadn't brought them with her to save space and weight for the flight over to the Antonov. She had to conserve as much weight as possible to prevent from tiring out mid-flight. So even though she really didn't want to, it seemed like she had no choice but to sing. She elected to sing whatever song that popped into her head, which turned out be the lullaby she sang to Nina last night. Not wanting to stand there in awkward silence any longer than she needed to, she just went for it and started to sing.

 _Spi, mladenets moy prekrasnyy, (Sleep, my beautiful one,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

 _Tikho smotrit mesyats yasnyy (With her quiet face the moon, she)_

 _V kolybel' tvoyu. (is looking upon your bed.)_

All at once, everyone dropped whatever they were doing and stared transfixed at her. She was starting to feel a little awkward, but she soldiered on and continued into the next verse.

 _Stanu skazyvat' ya skazki, (I will tell you fairy-tales of enchanted places)_

 _Pesenku spoyu; (and sing you some little songs)_

 _Ty zh dremli, zakryvshi glazki, (but you must slumber, with your little eyes closed,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

People's eyes started to flutter, and yawns were popping up here and there. _Oh, I hope I'm not boring them,_ thought Lidiya.

 _Stanu ya toskoy tomit'sya (I will die from longing,)_

 _Bezuteshno zhdat': (I will wait inconsolably,)_

 _Stanu tselyy den' molit'sya, (I will pray the whole day long,)_

 _Po nocham gadat': (And at night I'll tell fortunes)_

Heads began to fall onto the table or onto people's arms. Lidiya was too much into the song to care at this point; she was reminiscing about the times her mom would sing this to her every night when she was little. It made her feel nice and relaxed.

 _Stanu dumat', chto skuchaesh' (I will think that you are in trouble)_

 _Ty v chuzhom krayu… (Far away in a foreign land.)_

 _Spi zh, poka zabot ne znaesh', (Sleep now, as long as you don't know sorrows,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

When she sang that verse, she remembered when she had to tell her mom that she was deploying out of Orussia. Her mom was sad, but she understood that as the mother of witches, she had to make the hard choice of letting her go.

 _Dam tebe ya na dorogu (I will give you on your way)_

 _Obrazok svyatoy: (A small holy icon,)_

 _Ty ego, molyasya bogu, (And when you pray to God, you'll)_

 _Stav' pered soboy; (Put it right in front of you)_

 _Da, gotovyas' v boy opasnyy, (When preparing yourself for the dangerous fight)_

 _Pomni mat' svoyu… (Please remember your mother.)_

 _Spi, mladenets moy prekrasnyy, (Sleep, my beautiful one,)_

 _Bayushki-bayu._

Lidiya held out that last note with the memory of her mother singing this song the night before she had to fly out. She really wanted to see her now.

Finally opening her eyes, she noticed that everybody was sleeping deeply and peacefully. Some of them had fallen off of their chairs and onto the floor. Even Anna, Katya, and DJ were not immune to her song's effects, and had planted their faces into their food, spilling it all over them. _Aw, man, not again_ , she thought to herself. She got off the stage with the intention of simply leaving, but she decided against it. _Leaving the mess hall in such a state just wouldn't do. I ought to clean up this mess to make up for making them all fall asleep._ She proceeded to carefully grab everyone's dishes and stack them in piles at the ends of the tables. Then, she took the stacks and brought them into the galley. The galley crew were also passed out, so she looked for the soap, a sponge, and a pair of rubber gloves, and proceeded to wash them all. There were a lot of dishes. After she had placed the clean dishes on a rack to dry, she grabbed a mop and bucket.

She began to hum "Katyusha" to pass the time. _Oh,_ now _a different song comes popping into my head, now that everyone's asleep._ But she didn't mind too much; it was a good song, and plus singing "Cossack Lullaby" made her remember her mom. So, as she mopped the floor around the sleeping witches' feet and bodies, she kept humming. Once she was done, she dumped the bucket and put it and the mop away. She did what she could to clean Anna's, Katya's, and DJ's faces and clothes of food and soup, and then turned to leave. Before she turned off the lights, she checked her handiwork. The hall looked reasonably clean, despite all the work being done by one person, and she was proud. Chuckling, she hit the lights and closed the door, still humming away to Katyusha's song.

 **[End of Chapter 2]**

 _Zdravstvuyte, everyone. I'm Lidiya Litvyak. I kinda volunteered myself to do this, since I made everyone fall asleep with my singing, including the author and Saya-I mean his friend. I know this is break the Fourth Wall a bit, but it's the least I can do for putting everyone to sleep. So, here goes! Davayte Prikinem…_

 _The title song, which is also the one I sang, is called Cossack Lullaby, a tradition Russian/Orussian lullaby. My mama used to sing this to me all the time when I was a little girl._

 _Myah and DJ's cover of "Sugar Rush" is based off another cover of the same song by a YouTube artist named Rockleetist. She's pretty awesome._

 _Makoa and Anko's version of "Hawaii 5-0" is based off another sister duo's named Honoka and Azita. They're from Hawaii._

 _Vera's song is called "My Father, My Hero". The author has no idea who the song is by, but if you look it up on YouTube, you could find it._

 _Miyuki's song is called "Kodo" by the Yoshida Brothers. When you look it up, just imagine those two parts being played by just one person._

 _Nina's beautiful piano piece is already mentioned in the story, so I guess I don't need to repeat it down here._

 _The last song I hummed at the end is a popular Russian/Orussian wartime song called "Katyusha". You have heard of this song, da?_

 _Oka Nieba is a callsign from the game franchise Ace Combat. Probably the greatest aviation game franchise there is. Although, that last game, Assault Horizon, kinda made Russia look bad…but no biggie, I guess._

 _My half-sisters Anna and Katya are credited to the author NCWriting. Check him out, he's a cool cat._

 _Ms. Katrina Khadijah binti Adam is a descendant of one Amirah Aisyah Sulaiman, an OC of another author Colonel AmiruddinArifSulaiman._

 _Now, I believe that about wraps it up for the references now. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and didn't fall asleep on account of my singing. This has been Lidiya Litvyak saying do svidaniya! See you all next time!_

Postmeridie – Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST


	3. Chapter 3: In a Moment's Time

_Oooooaaaaaaahhhhhhmmn (yawning SFX). Ah, where am I? Shaelyn? Oh yeah…right…she's not here anymore. Uwah! How long have you all been here?! Uhm, er…d-disregard anything you heard. Anyway, I guess this is the next chapter, eh? Here we gooooo!_

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced…

"Lidiya. Lidiya, wake up. Come on, get dressed. We're on night patrol."

"I just can't sl-l-leep. I'd rather not t-talk about it."

"I'd like to sing right now to pass the time, but I don't think that would be the best idea. I could take over your mind and make you do my bidding."

"Nightjar, I'm picking up some bogeys on the radar. They're Arion fighters. Heading looks to be about southwest of us. Ah! Isn't your Snow Goose over there?! Nightjar, move to intercept. Quickly!"

"Finally, some action!"

"Aw, dammit! I've got a missile on my tail!"

"Hang on! I'll get that bastard for you!"

"Hey, everyone; I'm Lt. Dorotea Juutilainen. Call me DJ."

At it again, are they," she commented offhandedly, "Those two speed demons are Myah Lucchini of the Romagnan Air Force and Kelly Johnson of the USAF. They always compete to see who's the fastest."

"Major Carly E. Yeager. She's in a different squadron that's stationed here with us. She's got an FR-71 and the Speed Boost magic ability, so she's already hit Mach 4. She's the fastest person alive."

"I'm Gracie Bishop of the Fleet Air Arm. This 'Sleeping Beauty' on my head is Azalea Nakamura."

"Hello. I'm Lt. Col. Azalea Nakamura, leader of Chimera Team. Despite my height, I'm actually 18."

"I'm Yekaterina Viernya Litvyak von Wilke of the Orussian Air Force."

"I'm Anna Dietlinde Litvyak von Wilke of the Luftwaffe. Nice to meet you all."

"Hey, everyone. Name's Katrina Khadijah binti Adam. I'm from the Royal Malayan Air Force. I'm not part of the 413th; I'm gonna transfer into the 815th with you guys."

"Hello, everyone, I am Capt. Maia Daigneau, your new CO. Don't worry too much about rank or anything. In fact, you can just call me Maia or by my nickname, 'Curly.'"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys calm down. It's fine, X-626 is not gonna hurt us."

"626, huh? I saw a movie that had an alien experiment numbered 626. Unfortunately, the experiment was a guy. He did make a human friend named Lilo. How would you like that for a name?"

"The 815th is my first command, and now it's complete. I am the CO of a complete unit. Plus, tonight's Open Mic Night. And you know what that means?"

* * *

 **Chapter 3: An Uncertain Fate**

0445 Hours, July 8, 2015

UNIA Headquarters, Washington, DC, USL

 _Why so down tonight?_

 _Just another day that didn't go your way_

 _Well don't you make a sigh_

 _Just take my hand_

 _Don't toss and turn_

Tyler Fray sat in his office, listening to the slow jazz music flowing out from his surround-sound speaker system. As Director of the United Nations Intelligence Agency, he enjoyed the perks of a large office with such high-tech equipment as a surround-sound system. Being 73 years of age, he preferred the smooth and chill rhythms of jazz music over the loud and fast beats that flooded the pop songs of today. He kicked back, and listened to the song.

 _Let's just lie awake_

 _In just a moment's time you'll wonder why you_

 _Ever thought you'd ever long for more than you've got_

 _Cause baby you've got you and me_

He'd come a long way from being a field agent back when the UNIA was called the League of Nations Intelligence Agency. He worked hard and loved doing it, so when the Agency offered a spot as Director when it was reorganizing as the UNIA, he gladly accepted. He proved to be a stellar Director, garnering a deep respect from everyone under him. This is mainly the reason why the Agency has the kind of funds to maintain such a nice office with the latest tech.

 _I'm gonna hold you tight_

 _Through the night_

 _The bed bugs better hope that I don't bite_

 _While you're counting sheep in your head_

 _It's time to hit the sack_

 _Kapow attack_

 _Smack those troubles down_

 _KO they're down_

His telephone began to ring, interrupting the song and his relaxation. Pushing a button, he said, "Yes, Terry. What is it, hon?" Terry is his daughter and secretary.

"A Mr. Isaac Bell to see you, sir," said Terry.

"You know, you don't have to address me so formally," said Director Fray.

"I must remain professional when I'm on the job, you know. What'll your subordinates think if I started to call you 'Daddy' around here?"

"You just did," Fray teased. Inside, though, he was proud of his daughter. "Anyway, send him in." His office door opened and a man who looked no older than 18 stepped in. He was clad in a suit, and he carried with him a folder under his right arm. It was Isaac Bell, a cadet training to become a field agent. "What is it, sonny," inquired Director Fray.

"I found something of interest, sir," said Bell. He was trying to sound composed, but Fray could tell that something was bothering him.

"Oh? Lemme see."

Bell placed the folder on Fray's desk. Fray looked at it. It was yellowed with age, and it along with its contents looked extremely worn out. "What's this now," he inquired.

"It's, uh. Well, you might wanna see for yourself," said Bell.

Fray cocked a curious eyebrow and opened it up. The pages were stamped "CLASSIFIED" along with the year 1946. _Huh, an awfully old report_ , thought Fray. He read through the first page, then the second, and the third, all with an increasingly creased frown. None of what he was reading made any sense, and the thought that this was an elaborate prank briefly crossed his mind; however, the document seemed legitimate, and Bell also appeared legitimately concerned. So he kept reading through, still unsure of what to make of it. When he finished, all pretenses of coming home tonight had left his mind. He looked up at Bell, who was still standing in front of his desk. "Get me everything you've dug up on this," he said, "I want it all on my desk _tonight_."

"Right away, sir," said Bell. He turned and left the office.

Director Fray then turned to his phone and pressed a button, hailing Terry. "Terry, I need you to contact the Records and Archives Office. Tell 'em to find every file stamped with a 1940s year."

"Right away," Terry said over the speaker.

Fray got up out of his chair and began to pace the floor. That folder really bothered him. Deep in thought, he no longer noticed the jazz song still coming from his speakers. He still didn't think that it was true, and he tried once again to make himself believe that all this is some sort of prank. _Oh well_ , he thought, _I'll know soon enough once I sift through everything the RA Department gives me._

* * *

0645 Hours, 9 July, 2015

RAF Coningsby Mess Hall

Bright sunlight flooded through the windows of the mess hall, bathing the sleeping forms of some 70 odd people. They all looked to be sleeping peacefully, despite being in uncomfortable positions and sitting or lying on hard surfaces. Gradually, they all began to stir, rubbing their eyes sleepily. It took them a quick moment to realize that they were not in their rooms. For a split second, they began to panic, wondering how the hell they all ended up in the mess hall.

"Ugh, oh no," said Anna, Katya, and DJ, looking at their uniforms. They were stained with food and pretty messy. Embarrassed, they began to hurry out of the mess hall to change out of their clothes and wash their uniforms. Everyone else had the same idea and followed them out. Outside, they spotted Lidiya walking towards them all.

"Oh, hey, good morning, guys," she said with a smile. She was wearing her uniform, and she looked and smelled like she just got out of the shower. "I just got off a run, and I was heading here for some breakfast."

"Lidiya," said Anna, "How in the world did we end up sleeping in the mess hall?"

"Don't you remember," asked Lidiya, "Open Mic Night."

"That explains how we got there," said Katya, "But how about the part where we woke up with food stains on our uniforms?"

"Oh, yeah, that," said Lidiya, suddenly sheepish, "Uh, soooooo, funny story, um, see, I decided to have my musical instruments shipped over. I didn't wanna carry them with me so that I could be lighter in flight."

"Wait," said Vera, "Don't tell me you sang again?"

"Ehehe." Lidiya laughed nervously, and said, "Yep. I had no choice. Plus, Capt. Daigneau said that we new arrivals had to perform. It was my only option."

"So, that's your ability," someone said, "You sing people to sleep?"

"Oh, it goes beyond that," said Lidiya, "My ability is Mental Manipulation. It's activated by song. Even when I don't fuse with my familiar, my singing can still affect people. It always has."

"Whoa," said the same voice, "That's just like me." The girl stepped forward, and Lidiya recognized her immediately.

"Oh my God," she gasped. The rest of the Orussian witches save for Katya gaped in astonishment at this girl. "Are you _Marisha Putin_?"

"Yep," said Marisha.

" _The_ Marisha Putin?"

"Uh-huh."

"As in the daughter of President Putin?"

"Yup."

If Lidiya wasn't already embarrassed for putting everyone to sleep last night, she was definitely embarrassed for doing it to the Orussian President's daughter. She could feel her legs beginning to give way, and she was going to go down at any second. Marisha caught her before she did. "Hey, dude," she said, "it's fine. Don't feel bad about it."

Lidiya was struggling to find words. She got back on her feet and regained her composure. "Ehehe…I never thought I'd get to meet the First Daughter of my home country. Much less sing her to sleep. Sorry about that again, guys."

"Hey, no worries, Lt. Litvyak," said Marisha, reading the name and rank off of Lidiya's uniform, "In fact, I should say that I am honored. I get to meet a descendant of a hero of Orussia. You are a descendant of the Sanya Litvyak, no? Like Col. von Wilke and Lt. Col. von Wilke?"

"Uh huh," said Lidiya, puffing her chest with a little of pride, "They're my half-sisters. They're both more experienced than I am, though. We're about the same age, yet they've got higher ranks than me." Having said that, she felt deflated again.

"Still, though, you are a direct descendant of Sanya herself, so, it is still an honor," said Marisha, trying to cheer Lidiya up again. "I don't believe I have properly introduced myself. I am Sr. Lt. Marisha Putin. It is nice to meet you." She extended her hand towards Lidiya.

Shaking Marisha's hand, Lidiya said, "Nice to meet you too. I'm Lt. Lidiya E. Litvyak." She was ecstatic; she's gotten the rare chance of meeting a famous witch. Not only that, she is stationed on the same base as this famous witch.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd gasped. "Ay, look at the time. I've got appointments soon. I must get the office prepared!"

Kaminari recognized that voice as a good friend and fellow healer. "Addy, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," said a surprised Adelaide Clostermann. "Is that Kaminari I hear?"

"Yeah! Hello, Addy. It's been a while!" They gave each other a tight hug. "So, how have you been," Kaminari asked.

"Good, I've been good," said Addy, "And yourself? How have you been since the exercise?"

"I've been great."

"That is good to hear. Anyway, I must get going. I have appointments today, so I have to get the office ready. We'll talk later."

"Okay, bye now!" Kaminari waved at her friend, and then she realized that the appointments Addy was talking about were hers and the new girls'. She looked at her watch, and gasped. "Shoot! Our medical exams are soon," she said, "We're gonna be late if we don't hurry!"

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Makoa, "We'd better get going, too." By now, the rest of the group had dispersed, and only the twelve new girls were still in front of the mess hall.

"Well, we still haven't eaten," said Lidiya, "I'm gonna head inside and see if I can find something there. You guys want anything?"

"Yes, please," said Vera, "I'll just take an apple." The other eleven looked like they wanted about the same.

"Okay," said Lidiya, "I'll save you all some fruits."

With that, the other girls headed off to their barracks to change and get ready for the day, while Lidiya headed into the mess hall.

* * *

0745 Hours, July 9, 2015

RAF Coningsby Clinic

Makoa and the others all sat in the upstairs waiting room, waiting for the doctors to call one of them over for their examinations. The TV was set on a news network, and the anchor lady was reporting on the latest happenings in the Neuroi War going on in the Middle East. It seemed that the Neuroi have taken to supplementing their forces with Neuroi-controlled people along with Neuroi-loyalists. Wars have begun to look like twisted versions of how they used to be before the Neuroi invaded. Man once again had to train his weapons on a fellow man; or what used to be one, as the Neuroi's human minions often showed visible signs of Neuroi infection. Subsequently, this was beginning to have a negative effect on the witches and servicemen fighting these wars.

Makoa looked down at her arm, which was still wrapped in Kaminari's magic-infused bandage. She was one of the lucky ones; most of the victims never had access to a healer witch, therefore succumbing to their infection. Eventually, it would drive its victim to madness and turn them into the same unfeeling beings as their infector. She made a mental note to do something nice for Kaminari for staving off this outcome. She turned to look at her with a thankful smile on her face, and Kaminari started to blush.

A nurse walked into the waiting room, clad in scrubs and a white lab coat; she was holding a clipboard and a folder. Donning a pair of glasses, she parted her orange hair and read out the name on her clipboard, "Anabuki." Both Anabukis stood up at the call. "Oh, uh, Anko Anabuki," said the nurse. Makoa sat back down, and Anko grabbed her medical examination sheet and followed the nurse into the hall. Now with no one to sit next to, Makoa got up and moved down to Kaminari's row. She sat down next to her, and tried to strike up a conversation; however, before she could, another nurse had walked into the waiting room.

"Makoa Anabuki," the nurse said. Unsuccessful in starting conversation, Makoa got up, grabbed her own medical examination sheet, and followed the nurse into the hall. She and the nurse went by about three or four doors before turning right into an open office. A radio was on, and Makoa could just hear a smooth jazz song coming from it.

 _Girl_

 _You made the right mistake_

 _Choose me Instead of constant heartbreak_

 _Now let's raise the stakes_

 _Go on you've earned it_

 _Ask for any wish I'm on it_

 _Granted word for word I promise_

 _Baby that's the charm_

 _You got it made yes_

Gesturing to a chair, the nurse said, "Please, sit down." As Makoa sat down, the nurse grabbed the stethoscope hanging around her neck and a pair of latex gloves. Putting on the gloves, she asked Makoa to remove her shoes and step on the scale, where she took her height and weight. After writing those down on the exam sheet, she put the stethoscope's earbuds in her ears and asked for Makoa to sit down. Placing the chestpiece underneath Makoa's shirt and onto her chest, she asked her to breathe normally. Slightly shocked at how cold the chestpiece was, Makoa took a few breaths. Satisfied, the nurse put the stethoscope back around her neck and pushed the blood pressure machine over to Makoa's chair. She then took the cuff, wrapped it around Makoa's upper right arm, placed a clamp-style sensor on her left pointer finger, and activated the machine. The cuff began to inflate, tightening its grip on Makoa's arm and collecting pulse and blood pressure data. After a while, the machine deflated the cuff, beeped, and displayed a couple of numbers, which the nurse jotted onto the med exam sheet. Finally finished, the nurse said, "Alright, that about wraps it up for me. Just sit tight here, and Lt. Clostermann will see you shortly."

"Okay," said Makoa, "and thank you." The nurse nodded in response and exited the office. Makoa sat listening to the rest of the song. It had just finished a piano break, and sounded like it was nearing its end.

 _Oh_

 _Buckle up tonight_

 _You wanna get away_

 _Forget it baby_

 _Got you in my sights_

 _They never part_

 _They don't ever learn_

 _Help for heaven's sake_

 _In just a moment's time you'll wonder why you_

 _Ever thought you've ever long for more than you've got_

 _Cause baby you've_

 _You've got you and me_

After the last of the lyrics faded and the music ended, Makoa stood up to stretch out her legs a bit. As she did so, a pair of hands reached out from under her arms and grabbed her chest, squeezing and moving them around. Makoa let out a yelp of surprise, but she quickly calmed down, released herself from the hands' grip, and turned around. Initially expecting Kaminari to be the culprit, she was further surprised when she saw a taller European-looking girl with black hair, a slight tan, and a Romagnan Air Force uniform on. "Jesus," said Makoa, "You're more forward than Kaminari is."

"Oh, hey," said the girl, "I just got off from meeting her. My name's Myah Lucchini. Friends call me Speedy. I'm a lieutenant in the Romagnan Air Force."

"Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki," said Makoa, "Just call me Makoa, Cdr. Anabuki, or just Anabuki." She shook hands with Myah.

"Makoa," said Myah, "That's a nice name."

"Thanks. So, is that, like, a regular thing for you?"

"Oh, definitely," said a voice at the doorway, "You should have seen her when she met Capt. Daigneau. She's lucky she didn't get court-martialed." Addy, the voice's source, walked into the office. She looked to be about 14 years of age, and she wore blue Navy scrubs with a white lab coat with her rank on her epaulettes and her name over her right chest pocket. She also had a pair of round wire-frame glasses tucked in the front of her collar.

"Yeah, I was surprised that the Captain was so cool about it," said Myah, "Anyway, I'll get outta your hair now, Addy. See ya around. Bye, Makoa."

"Buh-bye," said both girls.

Addy turned around to face Makoa. "Hello, there, Cdr. Anabuki," she said, "I'm Lt. Adelaide Clostermann. I just got off from meeting your sister." The two girls shook hands.

"Oh yeah?" said Makoa, "How is she?"

"She's doing very well, no health impediments." Makoa was very impressed at how formal the girl was talking even though she was quite young. Addy continued, "Okay, I'm gonna use my magic and scan you for any health impediments. You just sit tight and relax." With that, she put on her glasses and fused with her familiar, sprouting a ferret's tail and ears out of her lower back and head. Then, her hands began to glow blue; she placed them on Makoa's head and slowly moved them down the sides her body. When she got down to Makoa's arms, she stopped and looked at the glowing magic bandage. "You know Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu," Addy asked.

"Yeah, I know Kaminari," said Makoa, "We were both stationed in NAF Atsugi before we got transferred to the 815th. Why?"

"Oh, I recognized your bandage as her handiwork," said Addy, "There's only one witch in the entire world who knows how to infuse bandages with magic. She actually pioneered the technique. That girl is one-of-a-kind."

"Yeah, healer witches in general are cool, in my opinion. You guys' powers help people instead of only hurt. All I can do is shoot lasers out my hands. Good for stopping Neuroi, but not exactly your best option for keeping someone alive."

"What are you talking about? Lasers are awesome. I mean, look at it this way. When you shoot a laser at a Neuroi, you destroy it, right?"

"Yeah."

"And that's one less Neuroi to torment humanity, right?"

"Right."

"So that means you're helping people, too, yeah?"

"You're right."

"So, there you go. You're helping people just as much as I am." Completing her body scan, Addy changed the subject. "I see now why Kaminari's given you this bandage," she said, closing the door, "You're Neuroi-infected."

"Yeah. It's thanks to her that I still haven't become a murder-crazed lunatic hell-bent on a killing spree yet."

"Nice. May I see?"

"Sure." Makoa held up her right arm to show Addy.

Addy unraveled the bandage, showing the same scar and black hexagons on her forearm, and stared intently at the infected area. "And has it been affecting your health? If so, please tell me."

"Well, it's been fine so far. Flare-ups have occurred here and there, but there hasn't been any major affect otherwise. I will say this though; the markings on my right arm have begun to change shape and design. It looks like a circuit board now. See?" Makoa showed Addy the markings on her arms; they looked like traditional Hawaiian tattoos with magic symbols seen throughout them. However, the ones on her right arm have begun to take on more hexagonal and technical shapes, almost like a circuit board.

"Hmm. Interesting," said Addy, "And you said that this hadn't had much of an effect on your witch performance or general well-being?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no," said Makoa, "In fact, I wonder if I'll be able get the regenerative abilities the Neuroi are so notorious for, hehe."

"Hm, I do not know," said Addy with a chuckle and a smile. She grabbed a clipboard, a pen, and Makoa's medical examination sheet. Attaching the sheet onto the clipboard, she jotted down some notes onto it, mumbling along with what she's writing, "Neuroi…..infection…right…..forearm…..slight…changes…to skin coloration…pattern….otherwise…no…..serious…..effects….."

With that done, Makoa's medical examination was now complete. Addy placed Makoa's med exam sheet in a folder and said, "Well, that about wraps it up for your medical examination, ma'am. And if you have any problems regarding your health or your infection, my door's always open."

"Thank you, Lt. Clostermann," said Makoa.

"Please, just call me Addy, ma'am."

"Oh, okay then, then I'm just Makoa, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Addy said with a smile.

Makoa and Addy walked out of the office and back to the waiting room together. Once there, Addy called up Kaminari next. Kaminari knew all her sizes and blood pressure by heart, having to repeatedly log them during medical training; therefore, there was no need for a nurse to measure them, as she already filled it out on her sheet. Addy only had to give the body scan. Makoa sat down with some of the others who had already gone. They all engaged in conversation, mostly focused on Myah's surprise attacks. It seemed that all the new girls getting a medical examination today fell victim; however, no one seemed that mad, as they found Myah to be a really great person. About an hour after her appointment started, everyone was finished, and Kaminari even came out with an application for a job in the clinic along with a letter of recommendation from Addy. With no further orders, the girls had no idea what to do for the rest of the day. They began to disperse.

Before they completely scattered, they heard a voice call out to them. "Hey, new girls," shouted someone from a distance. They turned to look in the direction it was coming from, and saw seven girls waving them over. It was the von Wilke sisters, two Hispanian girls with brown hair and cream-colored skin, a Gallian girl with a dirty blonde braid and white skin, a New Karlsland girl with long brown hair and bronze-colored skin, and a Dacian girl with long dark brown hair and white skin. They were all in PT gear, and was each carrying a water bottle. The twelve newer girls walked over to the other seven, and one of the Hispanian girls said, " _¡Hola!,_ newbies! My sister, Raina, Sofia, Anna, Katya, Antonia, and I were just heading out to the field to play some _fútbol_. You might know it as soccer. We need more team members, and you've probably got the rest of the day off. So what do you say, you in?"

The new girls seemed into the idea, since they had nothing else going on for the day. Makoa spoke for them all when she said, "Sure, we're down."

"Sweet," said the smaller Hispanian girl, "I'm Comandante Isabel Guerrera, but you can just call me Bella. This is my sister, Teniente Coronel Luciana Guerrera. She's one of the Operations Officers. You already know the von Wilkes, Col. Anna and Lt. Col. Katya. That's Capt. Raina Moreau, Lt. Sofía Banderas, and _Loco_ tenent Antonia Dalca." She chuckled at her pronunciation of the last rank.

"Hey, come on," said Antonia, "How many times are you gonna make that joke?"

"Until I don't think it's funny anymore," said Bella.

Everyone shook hands, and Anko said, "We'd introduce ourselves, but you probably know our names already from yesterday's Open Mic Night."

"Um, could you run them by me one more time please, uh, Lt. Colonel," asked Bella, looking at Anko's rank insignia.

"Okay," said Anko, "I'm Lt. Col. Anabuki Anko." She then pointed to each witch in her group, saying their name and rank. "This is my sister, Cdr. Makoa Nani Keikilani Koa Anabuki. And that's Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu Kaminari, Maj. Nagase Miyuki, 1st Lt. Zhu Lijuan, Ensign Sun Meifeng, Lt. Jin Lan, Capt. Marie-Rose Boudreax, Capt. 1st Rank Nina Dina Denisova, Lt. Lidiya Litvyak, Lt. Ludmila Toscha Mijasik, and Sr. Lt. Vera Natalia Choibalsan."

"You remembered all of our names," asked Vera, slightly surprised.

"Yes," said Anko, "What can I say? I'm good with those kinds of things. It's a necessary skill for officers to have."

Lijuan signed an impressed comment, which Meifeng translated as, "You are right. Still, though, that truly is impressive."

"Thank you," Anko responded. She then turned back to Bella and her friends and said, "Before we head out to the field, can we go and put on some PT gear at our barracks first?"

"Sure thing," said Bella, "We'll go there with you."

The whole group headed over to the barracks so the twelve girls could get their PT clothes on and fill up a water bottle. As they did, they passed another group of witches, two from Suomus and one from Farawayland. They accepted Bella's invitation to play soccer with them, and joined the group. The new girls recognized DJ from before, and the other two introduced themselves as Alisa Leivonen and Sarah Blackwood Beurling. Once everyone was changed and back outside, they headed out to the field, and Bella, Luciana, Raina, and Sofía practiced their passing and freestyle. Everyone agreed that Sofía's freestyle was the best.

* * *

1100 Hours, July 9, 2015

RAF Coningsby Field

"Alrighty," Bella said, "Lucy and I will be captains, okay?" The other girls nodded in agreement. The field was a full-sized soccer pitch, complete with the markings and goals. Small rows of bleacher seats lined the sides, and there were benches for the girls to put down their things. "Lucy, take first pick."

"Okay, sis," said Luciana, "I'll take Raina."

"Then I'll take Sofía," said Bella.

"Anna," said Lucy.

"Anko."

"Katya."

"Makoa."

"Antonia."

"Jin Lan," said Bella, "Which one is your name?"

"It's Lan," said Lan, "With Chinese and Fusan names, our family name is first."

"Oh, ok," said Bella.

Lucy picked her next member, "Kaminari."

Bella picked again, "Marie-Rose."

"Miyuki."

"Nina."

"Lijuan."

"Lidiya."

"Meifeng."

"DJ."

"Ludmila."

"Alisa."

"Vera."

"Sarah. Okay, that's everybody," said Bella, "You guys ready for some _fútbol_?"

" _Hai!_ Let's do this," said Anko.

The teams moved to one of the field's sides; Bella, Sofía, the Anabuki twins, Lan, Marie-Rose, Nina, Lidiya, DJ, Alisa, and Sarah took one side. Lucy, the von Wilke sisters, Raina, Antonia, Kaminari, Miyuki, Lijuan, Meifeng, Ludmila, and Vera took the other. Marie-Rose and Ludmila shook hands with a hard grip and an aggressive smile, and the others could almost see the electricity crackling between the two. Kaminari looked towards Makoa wistfully. _I sure wish I was on her team_ , she thought; however, any further thoughts of loneliness were quelled when Miyuki called her over to get the game started.

The rest of the 815th JAW and the 413th JTFS had followed the group, and Maia was called over for the coin toss. Bella's team chose heads, but they had lost the toss. Lucy's team chose their side, and everyone moved for the kickoff. Once everyone was in their places, Bella kicked off. The ball sailed into the air over everyone's heads. Vera was the goalie. The ball flew right past her hands, and found the back of the net. Bella and her team cheered, and everyone congratulated her on such a quick goal. Everyone else in the stands also cheered, especially Katrina. She looked about ready to jump in on the action as well. "Alright! That's the way you do it! Go on, send 'em home crying," she said between shouts.

Lucy took the next kick-off, and this time, Makoa took it and began dribbling it towards the other side. When she was set upon by Raina and Antonia, she passed it to her sister. Anko continued down the field, and passed it to Marie-Rose. Once Marie-Rose had the ball, she tried to continue, but Ludmila had her bracketed, and she couldn't find a good way around her. Seeing DJ on her right and Alisa on her left, she decided to pass it; Alisa was prompting her to fake it to her and pass it to DJ. Marie-Rose did just that, throwing Ludmila off with a fake-out and kicking the ball high to DJ, who headed it to Alisa. Alisa bicycle-kicked the ball towards the goal, but Vera caught it before it made it in. Vera tossed the ball to Lijuan, and she made her way down the field and passed it to Meifeng. Meifeng stormed the defense and had a clear shot to the goal; the only one standing in her way was Lan, the goalie. Meifeng faked out a left kick, which caused Lan to dive in that direction, leaving the goal open. Meifeng scored a goal, and the audience and her team cheered.

"Gooooooooaaaaaaaaal," Katrina exclaimed. She'd become the game's de facto commentator, which helped make the game more lively.

"Yeah," cheered Gracie, "That's how it's done, Meifeng!"

"Nice job," said Azalea, half-asleep on Gracie's shoulders.

Lijuan ran over to Meifeng and gave her a big bear hug, at which Meifeng blushed a deep red. The game picked back up, but despite many close attempts by both teams, no more goals were scored. Sofía made a particularly impressive attempt, single-handedly storming the defense and coordinating a double-passback with Sarah. She kicked the ball too high, and hit the crossbar instead. In the end, the game remained a tie, and the girls decided to call it a draw. It didn't really matter to anybody much, since they were all too busy having a blast.

With the game done, they tiredly congratulated each other on a good game, and then made their way back to the benches to drink some water and collect their things. Then, everyone made their way back to the barracks. Bella walked up to Anko and Makoa's side and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, uh, Cdr. Anabuki," she said.

"Yeah, Bella," asked Makoa. "Don't worry too much about rank. Just call me Makoa."

"Ok, Makoa. Um, you and your sister's performance last night was pretty amazing."

"Thank you very much," said both Anabukis.

"So I'm wondering, uh, would you take a student? Be willing to teach me how to play the ukulele? Please?"

"Well, sure," said Makoa, "I've already taught Anko. I could definitely teach ya."

"Really," asked Bella excitedly, " _¡Gracias!"_ She grabbed Makoa and wrapped her in a tight bear hug.

"My, my," said Anko, "First, you get grabbed from behind, and then you get bear-hugged. You make friends fast, Makoa."

"Ah, what can I say," said Makoa through groans, "I think it's a Hawaii thing."

From the back of the group, a jealous Kaminari watched the unfolding spectacle with saddened eyes. _I wish I was the one bear-hugging her and grabbing her from behind_ , she thought to herself. However she quickly realized the strangeness of her thoughts, and she quietly berated herself under her breath, "Wait. Just what the hell am I thinking? That's just….weird…." She quickly pushed these thoughts out of her mind and continued walking.

* * *

1230 Hours, July 9, 1945

St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

[Musical Accompaniment: An Uncertain Fate – Skullgirls OST]

It was lunchtime on the base, and Yoshika had prepared for them a delicious Fuso-style meal with rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and natto. Everybody loved it, but only she, Shizuka, and Mio ate the natto; nobody else wanted to try it out, even when Yoshika continued to tell them that natto is good for them. Mio said something about natto having an acquired taste. Amirah, a Malayan witch from the RAF, decided to give it a try, but she couldn't seem to stomach it. Once everyone was done, they cleared their dishes, and Yoshika and Lynne went to work washing, drying, and putting them away.

With nothing else to do, and no Neuroi showing up on the radar, Minna gave everyone in the 501st the day off, allowing them to hang out around the base. Mio tried to suggest training exercises to keep their skills sharp, but everyone was so tired from her morning training, and even Perrine turned down the suggestion. So she just shrugged and said she was going to take a walk outside, to which Perrine asked to join. They left the dining room together. Amirah said she was going to head out to find a good place to draw and have a smoke. Most of the girls began to disperse out of the dining room as well, until only Eila, Sanya, Lynette, Yoshika, and Shizuka were the only ones there. Yoshika, Lynne, and Shizuka were cleaning dishes, and Eila and Sanya decided to wait with them.

"It was nice of Cdr. Minna to give us the day off," said Sanya, "I wonder if we'll be on night patrol though."

"Well, let's find out," said Eila as she pulled out her stack of tarot cards. She shuffled the cards, and began to put them down in a specific layout. When she looked over the spread, she had her answer. "That is an affirmative, Sanya," she said, "It looks like won't be having the night off."

"Oh, that's good, I guess," said Sanya, "I like when we sortie out together."

"Sanya…." Eila's voice trailed off.

"Plus now, with Heidemarie, I have a singing partner."

"Eh….?" Eila's thoughts returned to Earth at Sanya's next sentence.

"It's nice that the Neuroi haven't been seen around here in a long while," said Shizuka, who had just finished helping with the dishes and sat back at the table. "But it makes me a little uneasy that it's been so quiet. Do you think they might be preparing for another massive attack like they did a few months ago?"

"Well, you know, my magic doesn't allow me to see too far ahead," said Eila, "But I can use it to make pretty accurate predictions. Let me do some more tarot card reading." She began to lay out her tarot cards again, but something was off. Eila couldn't quite understand the cards and spread she was looking at, nor could she figure out the answers they beheld. She was dumbfounded. "Hm, I can't seem to figure this one out. Maybe I should try again." She reshuffled the cards and laid them out again, but she turned up the same outcome. "I just don't understand," she said. A frown began to crease her brow.

Shizuka began to feel confused as well. "Uh oh. Is this bad," she asked uneasily.

"Not necessarily," said Eila, "But it doesn't mean anything good, either."

"Try me," said Yoshika, who had joined them at the table along with Lynne.

"Okay," said Eila. She shuffled again, and laid them out in another spread, turning up the same confusing outcome. "What the hell…?" she muttered. She had a strange feeling that something unusual was happening. She decided to try Lynne; she shuffled the deck once more and laid out a different spread, but again came out with the same outcome. Her frown deepened. She tried Amirah next, getting the same outcome once again. She cycled through everyone in the Wing, and then went through them all again, getting the same result for everyone both times. She even dealt a spread for her friends Nipa and Elma from Suomus and also her sister Aurora, but she still was coming out with that same result. Something was definitely up, she knew that. What it was, whether it was good or bad, and when it would happen was a mystery to her; whatever the cards showed to her did nothing to answer those three questions swirling through her head.

Everyone was getting concerned, especially Sanya. To see her friend and long-time companion so irked bothered her. "Hey, Eila," she said, "Why don't we head into the room and rest for tonight's patrol." She stood up and offered Eila a hand, but Eila refused.

"No thanks," she said, "I don't think I'll be going on the patrol tonight. I want to stay here and figure this thing out."

"O-oh," said Sanya, slightly surprised, "Okay. Then, I'll stay here with you."

"What about Heidemarie," asked Eila.

"I wouldn't worry too much," said Sanya, "She's used to patrolling by herself."

"How about I go," asked Yoshika, "I've had experience in night patrolling, remember?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Sanya, "Let's go to Minna and request for us to switch out with Yoshika tonight."

"You guys go on ahead," said Eila, "I'm gonna stay here and try these card readings again."

"Okay," said Sanya. She gestured for the others to head out with her to Minna's office, leaving Eila alone with her cards. She held her head in her hands and placed her elbows on the table, deep in thought. _What is going on,_ she thought to herself, _this is not making any sense._ Eila spent the remainder of the day cycling through everyone's tarot card readings again and again, still coming up with the same results across the board. She went through people she knew who were not in the 501st; they all had different results, so at least she proved that she's not crazy and that her magic wasn't going out of whack. But she still couldn't understand why her sister and all of her friends kept getting the same fortune. And she couldn't even tell what the heck it was. She sat back, sighed, rubbed her temples, and closed her eyes.

That night, she and Sanya shared a bed, but she just laid on her back staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Despite Sanya's peaceful breathing and warmth against her own body, she couldn't sleep. Not a wink. She was just too bothered. Because for the first time in her life, she just didn't know what might happen next, no premonition, no intuition. Not even the slightest inkling as to what could possibly come next. Nothing.

And that scared her.

 **[End of Chapter 3]**

 _Oooooooh, that last line sounded pretty freaky! Also, HI MOM! Wait, what? Pay no attention to what I just said! Ahem, time to get them references done!_

 _Tyler Fray, the Director of UNIA, is a character from the author StrikerStanding692. The author only hangs out with cool cats, so this guy's no exception. Check him out, he's got some really, really cool stuff._

 _The Isaac Bell fella shares his name with a fictional detective from a book series by Clive Cussler. Mr. Cussler's a real author._

 _The song whose lyrics kept popping up is called "In a Moment's Time" by Michiru Yamane. Real jazzy stuff. And there are two versions, one in English/Britannian and another in Japanese/Fusan._

 _And I guess that about wraps it up for the references here. So I think I'll take my leave. Live long and prosper!_

Blues Saraceno – Evil Ways


	4. Chapter 4: Dive in the Sky Part I

_Yo, yo, yo! What is up, my dudes and dudettes? I've been really racking it in for my friend Leche Flandre since he lost the original headers and footers to the chapters. So let's put this thing in high gear and get this show on the road!_

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced…

"Get me everything you've dug up on this. I want it all on my desk _tonight_."

"Ehehe…I never thought I'd get to meet the First Daughter of my home country. Much less sing her to sleep. Sorry about that again, guys."

"I am Sr. Lt. Marisha Putin. It is nice to meet you."

"My name's Myah Lucchini. Friends call me Speedy. I'm a lieutenant in the Romagnan Air Force."

"Healer witches in general are cool, in my opinion. You guys' powers help people instead of only hurt. All I can do is shoot lasers out my hands. Good for stopping Neuroi, but not exactly your best option for keeping someone alive."

"Flare-ups have occurred here and there, but there hasn't been any major affect otherwise. I will say this though; the markings on my right arm have begun to change shape and design. It looks like a circuit board now. See?"

" _¡Hola!,_ newbies! My sister, Raina, Sofia, Anna, Katya, Antonia, and I were just heading out to the field to play some _fútbol_. You might know it as soccer. We need more team members, and you've probably got the rest of the day off. So what do you say, you in?"

"It was nice of Cdr. Minna to give us the day off," said Sanya, "I wonder if we'll be on night patrol though."

"I don't think I'll be going on the patrol tonight. I want to stay here and figure this thing out."

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Celestial, Part I: Dive in the Sky**

1335 Hours, October 17, 2015

Eastern Britannian Airspace

"Siren! Break right!" Anko barked her command for Lidiya to try and evade her attacker, who was hot on her tail and had a near-perfect missile shot on her.

"Roger, Firebird 1. Breaking," said Lidiya over her comlink. She pulled a hard right turn, throwing off her assailant's aim and giving her wingman Katrina the chance to engage. As she pulled right, she brought the attackers on her tail right in front of Katrina, who let loose with her BK-27 revolver cannon and peppered them with paintballs.

"Alright! Got 'em," she shouted excitedly.

"Fulcrum and Speedy, Eagles 1 and 2, you are out of commission," said Maia over the comlink. She was circling above the battle, flying as an AWACS for the training exercise. Anko suggested it so that the witches could log flight hours and hone their skills; aside from mock dogfights like this one, they also practiced flight maneuvers and marksmanship with their missiles and guns.

With Eagles 1 and 2 out of the fight, Eagle flight had lost a good portion of its combat capability, but Eagles 3, 4, and 5 were still there, and Anko knew that Bella with her Foresight ability would be a hard target to hit. She couldn't shake the feeling that the first two kills were too easy; she radioed in to Maia. "Mercury, can you get a fix on the rest of Eagle Team?"

Maia looked at her handheld tablet display; it showed everything that her E-2 Hawkeye Striker Unit's radar dish was picking up. She found the five dots marking Firebird Team's position, and then she saw three more dots coming from Firebird's right. "Affirmative, Tomoe Gozen, they're coming in on your 3 o'clock," Maia answered.

"Roger. Alright, girls, let's move to engage," Anko said.

"Roger," the rest of Firebird Team responded. Everyone formed up, and Anko took the team on a heading due east and told them to arm their missiles; confident that Firebird had the upper hand, she wanted to end the dogfight in one single decisive pass. The beeps of their missiles' guidance systems began to sound in their headsets as they closed in on the remnants of Eagle Team. Since this was a mock fight, the girls didn't need to actually fire their missiles; they just had to hold a lock for a few seconds.

All at once, the beeping in their headsets changed to a long steady tone, signifying a lock. Suddenly, another less auspicious tone screeched into the headsets of Anko, DJ, and Katrina. It was a game of Chicken, each side trying to make the other bug out without getting "shot down". Anko, wanting to preserve her numerical advantage, called it off and told everyone start diving to break the aggressors' locks. But it was too late; Bella, Kaminari, and Lan maintained the lock long enough to "shoot down" their targets. Firebird Team had lost the Chicken game.

"Dammit," DJ shouted into her comlink.

"Tomoe Gozen, Ilmatar, Griffon, Firebirds 1, 3, 5, you're out of the fight," said Maia, "Rendezvous with me and await further orders." The three flew up to join Myah, Maia, and Nina to watch the rest of the dogfight from the sidelines.

With the tables so suddenly turned, Makoa and Lidiya, the last of the Firebirds, quickly formed up and tried to coordinate a counterattack. Lidiya's Mental Manipulation was ineffective this time because of the noise-cancelling feature built into the witches' headsets; her songs would only reach their "enemies'" ears as comlink transmissions. Before they could formulate a plan, however, a stream of paintballs whizzed over Makoa's head, and they broke left to face their attackers. Eagle Team had the jump on them, but Makoa and Lidiya weren't going to go down so easily. They aimed their autocannons and answered back with paintball streams of their own, quickly dispatching Kaminari and Lan. They stopped to a standing hover, congratulated Makoa and Lidiya, and flew back to form up with Maia. Bella was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a stream of paintballs peppered Lidiya's Strikers with colored paint. She was out. It was now a one-on-one fight between Makoa and Bella.

Bella shot another stream of paintballs, attempting to take down Makoa the same way she took down Lidiya, but Makoa was not so easily fooled. Dodging the fusillade, she fed power into her engines and zoom-climbed up to 20,000 feet. She scanned the sky for her adversary, and she spotted Bella off her 10 o'clock. She opened the throttle and sped toward her, lining up her Vulcan cannon and firing off a torrent of paintballs. Bella dodged these with utmost grace, skill, and elegance; then she began to answer with her own Vulcan. Makoa successfully dodged the incoming paintballs, but not with the same skill and ease. The dogfight continued on like this, with neither witch able to score any successes on the other.

With ammo low in their primary weapons, and not wanting the battle to end in a stalemate, the witches closed in on each other. Pulling out her sidearms, they fired off an entire clip at each other, and then they levered in a fresh cartridge. But they got too close before they could use it up, so they holstered their pistols, and the high-speed dogfight turned into a high-speed fistfight. Makoa threw a couple of punches, but Bella easily dodged them and landed a couple of hits on Makoa's head and midsection. She reeled from the impacts, but she stayed close to keep Bella from using her pistol again; she tried to land a few more hits, but was unsuccessful, and received more hits from Bella. She tried again, getting the exact same painful result. Numerous attempts to at least land a hit were all met with failure. She needed to find some other way to get at Bella without her foreseeing it; checking her magic level on her wrist-mounted flight computer, she suddenly had an idea.

Bella was confident that she had this one in the bag. Makoa was getting beaten up so badly, she felt that she was at her limit, and would soon give up. She moved in on her seemingly helpless prey, preparing to land a final blow. _Hahaha, I've got you now,_ she thought to herself. But Makoa swiftly backed off, and pulled out her pistol again. She fired off a few rounds in Bella's direction, but she easily dodged them. _¡Estupida! You think this is going to work on me again? Think again._ But before Bella could pull out her pistol and fire back, Makoa sped in really close and grabbed her by the arms.

"Eh? What's this now," Bella asked Makoa, "You trying to get romantic with me?" Suddenly, markings on Makoa's arms began to glow bright blue, and Bella could feel the radiation of energy crackling from them. She'd heard about Makoa's laser beam ability, but she'd never seen it in person, and it looked like she was about to get more than the firsthand experience. Scared for her life, she tried to wriggle out of Makoa's vice-like grip.

"Ha. Gotcha. Quit squirming around, or I'll blast ya," she said with sudden confidence and a serious expression on her face.

"Oh? Try me," mocked a nervous Bella, trying to sound confident herself, but she didn't mean a single word, and she hoped Makoa knew that. However, those hopes were dashed when she felt the energy radiation intensify from Makoa's arms as their markings began to glow brighter and brighter. Wide-eyed, she kicked and screamed and pleaded with Makoa not to fire her beams. "Ok! Ok! Ok! I admit defeat! I forfeit! Oh, please, please don't blast me!" Properly terrified, the poor girl began to cry.

Makoa's expression brightened, slightly amused by Bella's desperate pleas. With her arms still aglow, she pulled Bella in for a big hug and kissed her on each cheek. "Alright, I won't blast you," she said soothingly, "But I accept your full and unconditional surrender." She loosened her hold, and wiped the tears from Bella's eyes. Suddenly relieved that she wasn't going to get vaporized, Bella felt another rush of emotions come over her, and she began to cry again, burying her face in Makoa's chest.

"Oh, you poor, poor girl," comforted Makoa, "Did I really scare you that much?"

Bella, her face still buried in Makoa's chest, silently nodded her reply.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Makoa apologized, "I really wasn't going to blast you. I just wanted to frighten you enough to get you to surrender. Will you ever forgive me?"

Again, Bella nodded her reply.

Taking her hand, Makoa said, "Thank you. Come on; let's go form up with Maia." Powering down her charge, the markings on her arms returned to their original coloration, and they formed up on Maia and the rest of the witches.

"Eagle Team has been eliminated. Firebird Team has won the exercise," said Maia, "That was some damn fine flying out there, everyone. Makoa, try not to scare people like that so much."

"Sorry," said Makoa.

"I should be furious with you right now for the stunt you just pulled," said Anko, "But since you won us the dogfight, I won't be as mad. You could utilize that maneuver in combat. However, for threatening a fellow Wing mate with her life, I will have to punish you somehow."

"Can I plead with you to spare me," asked Makoa.

"Hmmmmm…nope," Anko responded, "You're punishment will be a special training session tomorrow morning."

"Aw man."

Maia, Eagle Team, and Firebird Team made their way back to the base.

* * *

1405 Hours, October 17, 2015

Northeastern Britannian Airspace

Meanwhile, in another area, the ground attack witches were practicing out on the ordnance range with Jasmine Wrightman, a USAF witch flying an F-16 Striker. The range was a large field dotted with targets, craters, and bullet-hole-ridden vehicles. Big Bear Team and Espada Team each took turns flying mock air support missions based on scenarios that Jasmine made up. "Big Bear Team, be advised, there are troops on the ground surrounded by Neuroi. Dispatch the threats, and secure the area for the choppers to come in and pull them out. Keep collateral damage to a minimum."

"Roger, Goldeneye. Moving to engage," said Donna, a witch from the RAF and the leader of Big Bear Team. "Okay, lassies," she said with a strong Scottish lilt, "We'll each have a go at the targets with our cannons. I'll be first, then Big Bear 2, 3, 4, and 5. Got that?"

"Roger," the girls all answered in unison. Donna banked her Tornado into a strafing run. Lining up on a couple of old tanks, she squeezed the trigger on her BK-27 and let loose a torrent of bullets at the beat-up hulk. 27mm rounds peppered the tanks and the ground around them, kicking up sparks and dust.

Ludmila came in next with her GSh-30-2 dual-barrel autocannon. As she lined up the tanks and another vehicle, she smirked and said over her comlink, "Watch and learn, Boudreaux." She fired a 30-second burst, and 1500 30mm rounds streaked toward the targets. Normally, a long burst like that would have negative effects on accuracy, but Ludmila was using her Ballistic Stabilization ability, and every bullet found a mark. No dirt was kicked up, only sparks as the bullets buried themselves in the vehicles sides. Everyone was impressed.

Not one to be outdone by her friend and rival, Marie-Rose lined up a strafing run on the three vehicles that Ludmila hit. Spooling up her GAU-8 Avenger, also a 30mm cannon, she loosed a short burst at one tank, another for the second, and one more for the last vehicle. If one were to be able to slow time, they would see that each round glowed blue; this would be thanks to Marie-Rose's ability to infuse magic energy into her shots, thereby increasing their effectiveness. As each round hit its mark, it hit with more force and power than a normal 30mm round, and soon the three vehicles were completely obliterated. She looked back at Ludmila with a smirk, who returned it with a stuck-out tongue.

Next in line were Juliet Lemay and Addy; Lemay was an Aéronavale witch flying the Super Étendard, and Addy flew a Rafale M and was also from the Aéronavale. Juliet was unique among the others in Big Bear Team in that she was the only one to dual-wield DEFA 552 30mm revolver cannons. Setting both cannons to the 1200rpm setting, she dove into a strafing run on a different pair of vehicles, easily making short work of them. Addy followed with her GIAT 30M 791, shredding another pair of vehicles with 30mm rounds. And just like that, Big Bear Team had destroyed all threats, making the way safe for the imaginary helicopters to come in and rescue the imaginary trapped troops. With their mission complete, they formed up and climbed back to Jasmine's altitude.

"Good work, Big Bear Team," said Jasmine, "Espada Team, be advised, there's several artillery units firing on our troops' positions. Take 'em out."

"Roger," said Raina, a Gallian Air Force witch flying a Mirage 2000D and the leader of Espada Team, "Okay, girls, we're gonna come down in formation and take them out with missiles. Everyone designate your targets, and we'll try to get 'em all in one pass. Let's show Big Bear how it's done!"

"Roger," everyone said in unison.

"Okay, _allons-y!_ " Raina and the others dove down to about 4000 feet, maintaining formation. She, Miyuki, and a Romagnan witch named Rosalina Pier di Romagna armed their missiles; Sofía, flying a lighter IA-58A Pucará, was unable to carry missiles, so she made up for it by carrying rocket launchers. Rosalina is from a Romagnan noble family descended from Duchess Maria; she's the first witch to come from this lineage.

Once they approached their targets, a large group of old howitzers and artillery vehicles, each witch designated their targets and fired as soon as they had a lock. Rosalina was the first to fire, shooting off a long-range SCALP EG cruise missile. A joint project among Britannia, Gallia, and Romagna, it had fat body stuffed with explosives, so when it hit its target, it generated an explosion big enough to take out a group of three howitzer pieces. Raina fired off an MBDA Apache, the ancestor to Rosalina's SCALP EG; its bulky form jettisoned off her Striker and streaked out in a straight line, seemingly going off into the sky without locking on to anything. However, like a miniature bomber, it opened up hatches on its bottom and released 10 tiny bomblets which fell down upon a row of four artillery vehicles, obliterating them. Miyuki fired off two Fuso-made ASM-2s, and they rocketed off towards their prey, destroying two pairs of howitzers. Sofía was the last to fire, shooting off a BGM-71 TOW missile from a shoulder-mounted tube; it was wire-guided, flying in whatever direction she aimed the sight in, which happened to be the last artillery vehicle. She also infused the TOW missile with magic to increase its power, ensuring the artillery vehicle's destruction. Their mission was complete.

"Nicely done, Espada Team," said Jasmine, "Now get yo' asses back up here, and let's go back to base."

"Roger that, Goldeneye," said Raina, "Heading up to you now."

Once everyone was back in formation with Jasmine, they all flew back to base.

* * *

1900 Hours, October 17, 2015

RAF Coningsby Barracks

That night, Makoa was brushing her teeth in the bathroom while Anko took a shower. The room filled with steam, mixed with the sounds of running water coming from the showerhead and Anko's singing. She was exhausted from the day's training, and she was dreading the special training that her sister had in mind for tomorrow. Even Bella's sister Luciana seemed in on the idea, wanting to teach Makoa a lesson for scaring an Ops-O's sister. Somewhere deep down within herself, though, she was happy about that; it showed that Lucy is a devoted sister who won't take crap from anybody, even a fellow Wing mate. Finished with her teeth, she spat, rinsed, and placed her toothbrush in a cup before she went out into the room and sat on the couch.

Having already showered before Anko, her hair was still a bit damp, but she grabbed a comb and ran it through to straighten out the tangles. Then, she put on her glasses, played some music on her iPod, and began to read a book. However, instead of paying attention to the story, she found herself thinking about all that has transpired since now.

A lot has happened since she and girls joined the 815th JAW back in early July. Aside from numerous training exercises like the one they just had, there were also three more Open Mic Nights, this time with Lidiya playing her clarinet or saxophone instead of putting everyone to sleep with her singing like she did that first night. It wasn't that Lidiya's singing was terrible, it's just that strange things happen when she does; plus, even Marie-Rose thinks that Lidiya's one of the best saxophone players out there. Kaminari also got a job as a doctor at the clinic, and she often works closely with Addy. They'd even gotten the rest of their clothes and belongings shipped over from their respective countries.

Furthermore, the new witches got their Team assignments. Anko, Makoa, and Lidiya were assigned to Firebird Team with DJ and Katrina; Anko, being the ranking officer in the team, was chosen as leader. Nina, Kaminari, and Lan were put in Eagle Team with Bella; Nina, also the ranking officer in the team, was placed as leader. Ludmila and Marie-Rose were assigned to Big Bear Team with Donna Duffy, Juliet, and Addy; having brown bears for familiars, they were made the team's mascots. Miyuki was put into Espada Team with Raina, Rosalina, and Sofía. Finally, Vera, Lijuan, and Meifeng were put into Chimera Team with Azalea and Gracie.

There were also a lot of birthdays, three of which belonged to some of the new girls. Marie-Rose even shared her birthday with Stefanie, the 815th's XO. Donna's birthday was especially memorable; as the oldest witch in the Wing, this birthday was her 20th. Normally, most witches would lose their magic by that age, but this doesn't seem to be the case for her. When given the option to transfer to a training squadron as an instructor, she declined and opted to remain with the 815th. Bella, Kelly, Mariela, Katya, Carly, Frederica, Eliza, Aleksandra, Anastasia, Aya, and Michelle also had birthdays during the past couple of months.

Then, there were the day-to-day happenings; life on a base full of teenage girls and young adults is never dull. Makoa had finally uploaded her magic-level-monitoring application that she developed onto everyone else's wrist-mounted flight computers. Many a witch and non-witch had also fallen victim to DJ's pranks, and she's often operating with Kathleen of Clover Flight as an accomplice and scapegoat when things went south. Kelly Johnson, one of the witches Makoa saw racing through the sky on the day they landed, was also an avid photographer, and Makoa often saw her snapping photos of her, the other new girls, and various other things; she told her she was making a photo album for the Wing. Makoa thought that was a grand idea. Finally, Anko and Bella, Makoa's ukulele students, both were greatly improving in their playing. Bella was a natural, being a highly skilled guitarist before learning the ukulele. _I hope she's not mad at me and won't let me teach her ukulele_ anymore, Makoa thought to herself. As she was reflecting on all of this, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it," said Makoa.

"It's me, Bella," said Bella's voice.

"Coming," said Makoa. Makoa got up out of the couch and walked towards the door. Once she opened it, she invited Bella in. As soon as Bella stepped in, the room seemed to brighten up, energized by good vibes and cheerful moods. She even had the clean smell of a recent shower wafting off of her skin. "So, what's up," asked Makoa.

"Spare a moment? I want to talk to you about something," said Bella, "Come with me, please?"

Makoa wondered why they couldn't just talk about whatever Bella wanted to talk about right here, but she was curious as to what she had to say. So, she said, "Okay. Hang on, Anko's in the shower. Gotta let her know I'm heading out." Makoa popped her head into the bathroom again. "Hey, sis," she said, "I'm gonna head out for a bit. I'll be back."

"Okay," said Anko, "Don't stay out too long, huh? You have to rest up for special training tomorrow, remember?"

"Aw, don't remind me."

Anko laughed. "Hahaha! Okay, see you later."

"Bye." With the conversation now over, Anko returned to singing and showering, and Makoa headed out with Bella, closing the door behind her. Just around a corner, a figure watched them go with jealous eyes. _What's all this all of a sudden_ , Kaminari thought to herself, _since when did Makoa-san spend so much time with Bella-san?_ She began to grumble quietly, until she heard a voice behind her.

"If you're so jealous, why don't you just go with them," it said. Startled, Kaminari turned around. It was Miyuki.

"Miyuki-chan," Kaminari squealed, "Don't scare me like that. Plus, that would be just weird. I can't just walk right up to them."

"Gonna have to do something, before she's gone forever."

"Aaaaauuuggghh," Kaminari sighed.

Makoa followed Bella up a flight of stairs, and then another, and another. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Just up to the roof."

Soon, they were on the roof of the barracks. The sky was full of stars, and a waning last-quarter moon strained to brighten up the night. Along the horizon, the stars met with city lights, and here and there, the green and red lights of an aircraft flashed across the sky. Occasionally, the engines of a jet or Striker would be heard from the airfield. Bella and Makoa sat down together and gazed at the landscape before them. They remained like this in silence for a little while.

"Sky sure is beautiful tonight," said Makoa, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," said Bella.

"Sorry again about earlier."

"It's fine."

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No."

"How's ukulele coming along?"

"It's going well."

"That's good." Makoa shifted her position. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

At that question, Bella looked at Makoa. She suddenly started to get nervous and blush. "Ah, yes, that. Well, you see…erm…what are your thoughts on girls?"

"Wha?"

"Do you like them, or do you not like them?"

"I think they're cool. How could I not like them? I am one, after all."

"I mean romantically."

"Whoa, wait, where is this conversation going?"

Bella straightened up, turned to Makoa, and grabbed her arm. "Where this is going is," she said slowly and quietly, "I think you stole my heart today." She snuggled up to Makoa, and brought her own face close to hers.

Makoa was shocked. Bella was not a bad-looking girl; in fact, Makoa thought she looked kind of cute. Thoughts of them two having a life together began to go through her mind. _I mean, witches can have kids with each other through magic conception. It's not like it hasn't been done before. But no. I wanna find me a guy and start a family the proper way. But if I reject her now, I might find myself in hotter water than I am in right now. Gah! First Kaminari, and now her, too? What am I doing?_ This battle of emotions going on inside of her, combined with the proximity of Bella's face and the smell her shampooed hair caused Makoa to blush. "….Oh boy…." was all she could manage. She tensed up for what she thought would be the inevitable.

With a small giggle, Bella went in, and kissed Makoa on both cheeks, just as Makoa did when she was crying. "Oh, you poor, poor girl," she said mischievously, "Did I really scare you that much?"

Suddenly realizing that she might have been played, Makoa let out the breath she was holding the whole time. This breath turned into a laugh, to which Bella joined in. They both began reeling and rolling around, laughing the hardest they probably will ever laugh. Once they calmed down, Makoa said, "Girl, you are one sly kid, you know that?"

"I have been called that, yes," said Bella.

"Sooo, you weren't serious about that whole 'you stole my heart' thing?"

"Oh, I'm serious alright," Bella said, "But I can tell from your reaction when I said that that you're a straight gal. I respect that, but I still like you. So, I'll take it slow, and who knows, maybe I can change your mind." With a wink, she stood up, and held out a hand. Makoa took hold and hoisted herself up. "Well, I guess we should go to bed now," Bella continued, "You've got special training tomorrow, along with whatever hell Lucy has waiting for you."

"Quit reminding me," said Makoa, but she wasn't mad. The two girls headed back down into the barracks, laughing and softly shoving each other the whole way. Neither of them noticed the shadow peeking out at them from a corner. Kaminari had ended up following the two up to the roof, and she saw the whole thing. _Aw man, another contender for Makoa-san's affections? Why can't it just be me?_ Kaminari sighed and headed back to her room.

* * *

1000 Hours, October 19, 2015

RAF Coningsby 815th JAW Hangar

All of the members of the 815th JAW and the 413th JTFS were all seated in the 815th's hangar. Throughout the room could be heard small conversations regarding why they were all summoned here, and the possibility that they would finally be deployed. A stage was set up in the middle of the hangar, with a projector screen and pulpit facing the rows of foldout chairs where the witches sat. The 815th's Striker Units were nestled in their cradles and arranged in a row along the wall. All along those walls hung photographs of various aircraft and witches in flight; some of them were even old black-and-white photos of witches from the 1940s, back when Striker Units were still a relatively new concept.

The Striker Unit. The modern witch's magic broom. Converting the magic energy stored in her body into power to run an engine, she can race through the sky, answering the call as humanity's protector against the aliens known as the Neuroi. With the development of etherjet technology in the late '40s, a witch was now able to fly faster and higher than her predecessors. "Truly the wings of angels," Anko said quietly.

"What was that," asked a woman seated to her right. It was Junior Admiral Miyafuji Ayumi, a witch from the FMSDF; she had the same white-shirt uniform as Kaminari, but instead of a baseball-style identification cap, she had an officer's peaked cover resting on her lap. She was the oldest witch on the base at 20 years of age, and like her Miyafuji ancestors, she was able to retain her magic power instead of losing it when others would. She's good friends with Gracie, so she when she spotted the open seat between the two girls, she decided to take it.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, ma'am," said Anko, "I was just looking at the pictures on the wall."

"Oh, I see," said Ayumi.

"Admiral, didn't an ancestor of yours develop the Striker Unit?"

"Yes, my great-great-grandfather. He's my inspiration for pursuing my Engineering Master's. He's a true genius."

"His invention sure has come a long way," said Gracie, "Truly a feat of engineering."

"If you wanna see a true feat of engineering, take a look at these bad boys," said Sakamoto Miki, who sat behind the three. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing a pair of arm-brace-looking things; flechettes could be seen attached to cables running up her arm and under her FASDF uniform. It seemed to combine exo-suit arms with air-powered launchers. "Ayumi here made me these launchers. Now I can take my parkour to the next level."

"Yeah," said Ayumi, "by swinging around like Spider Man and causing all manner of trouble for the MPs."

"It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a chase," said Miki with a smirk, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the backs of Anko's and Ayumi's seats. She was two years younger than Ayumi, and she always behaved like one of those flash rogue adventurers from old comics and stories. Despite this, she was a great person to hang around with, always having some story or another of how she narrowly escaped capture by MPs, base-jumped off the very tip of the Tokyo Skytree, or finally landed that super-complicated double-backflip-hook-shoot trick she made up.

"You should be more careful," said Addy, who was sitting next to her, "I don't wanna have to go to my office and find you in there as my patient, you know, ma'am."

"There's thrill in the risk, but I'll take your advice, just because you're my best friend." Miki put her arm across Addy's shoulder gave a small side-hug.

"Guh-ugh. Captain. You're squeezing too hard!" Addy struggled to speak and release herself from Miki's grip.

"Oops, ehe, I'm sorry." Miki released her hold on Addy.

Suddenly, Maia's voice rang out above the chatter. "ATTENTION! Chief Marshal on deck!" All at once, conversation ceased, and every person present stood up at attention and faced forward. A woman in a RAF officer's uniform and peaked cap walked into the room, followed by Anna and Maia. She stopped at the pulpit, and the other two walked over to a pair of seats by it. "At ease. Please be seated," said Maia. Once everyone took their seats, Maia continued, "Ladies, this is Air Chief Marshal Wendy Maloney of the RAF. She's the overall commander of all the witch squadrons in our sector. She'll be briefing us on our upcoming combat deployment." Quiet excited conversation began to come up from the witches, whom Maia quickly silenced with a raise of her hand, and she gave the floor to Air Chf. Mshl. Maloney.

"Hello, ladies," she addressed the witches, "We up at Central Command have been keeping close tabs on you all for the past few months since the newest transfers into the 815th flew in, and we have all seen fit to send you to the front lines.

"Now lately, the war against the Neuroi has been especially cruel. Seems like not much has changed since I still had my powers. Numerous groups of Neuroi-controlled humans are really giving us hell, and the Neuroi have been steadily gaining ground because of them. Afghanistan, the Republic of Persia, and the Ostman Federation have all already lost substantial plots of land to these bastards. Also, trouble has been brewing in Northern and Eastern Europe.

"Needless to say, the air groups and witch units out there need some help and need it fast, so we're sending the 815th Joint Air Wing and the 413th Joint Tactical Fighter Squadron to aid some of these beleaguered units. Your jobs will be to support the troops there, defend the remaining land still under humanity's control, and aid our forces in retaking the portions of land taken by the Neuroi and their minions.

"Because of the 815th's and 413th's size and wide range of mission capabilities, we have decided to send you to multiple areas of operations to expand your effectiveness. The plan is to have two groups from your number deploy by witch carrier aircraft. The larger group will head to Eastern European Airspace and conduct patrols there. The other group will proceed to our friends in the north to conduct patrols there as well. The rest of you will operate with a task force in the Middle East, joining a carrier air group, an expeditionary brigade, and a Nereid group that will also be deploying out there. Finally, everyone will rendezvous in a frontline airfield in Afghanistan to conduct operations for the remainder of your deployment." As Maloney spoke, a map showing Europe and the Middle East displayed on the projector screen, and icons denoting the three individual groups she was describing displayed her plan.

She continued to speak. "Now, normally, young girls like yourselves should never have to experience the horrors of war, and it was a whole lot easier to fight back when our only enemies were the Neuroi. But this is not a normal war, we are not facing a normal enemy, and you are not normal girls. You are the ones who can fight back against this alien threat. The powers you've been given, and the training you've received, could mean the difference between the freedom of the world and its enslavement. You. The witches. You are the tip of the spear of humanity's militaries. We up in the brass give you orders, and you get them done. And when this is finally over, when we have swept all vestiges of the Neuroi's existence off this Earth, we may take credit for the strategy and leadership, but the history books will write about you. The ones who did the fighting. The real heroes.

"Today, don't worry about training or exercising. I want you all to relax, have fun, and hold loved ones near if you can. Join us all in prayers for peace on Earth, goodwill toward all, and a safe return. Then report back here tomorrow, ready to sail across God's vast ocean and fly across His infinite skies, where you will meet the enemy and kill them all. Group assignments are posted here on the screen. Find your names and make the necessary preparations. Good luck, and God bless."

With that, she backed away from the podium, and made her way off the stage. Maia's voice rang out once more. "Atten-SHUN!" Everyone stood up at attention again, and watched as Maloney exited the stage. Once she was off-stage and in front of the witches, Maia said, "Carry on." The girls relaxed and began looking at each other excitedly; they had trained and worked hard for this moment, and here it finally came. Others looked at the projector screen to find their names on the three-column table shown there. One column showed the names Myah Lucchini, Dorotea Juutilainen, Lidiya Litvyak, Katrina binti Adam, Adelaide Clostermann, Gracie Bishop, Anna von Wilke, Katya von Wilke, Carly Yeager, Evelyn Barkhorn, Frederica Hartmann, Miyafuji Ayumi, Sakamoto Miki, Kathleen Katajainen, Rosalina Pier di Romagna, Makoa Anabuki, Mariela Knueppel, Elizaveta Voychek, and Azalea Nakamura. They compiled the group to be sent to Eastern Europe. The second column showed the names Sakomizu Kaminari, Anabuki Anko, Valerie O'Hare, Alisa Leivonen, Sarah Beurling, Jin Lan, Sun Meifeng, Marie-Rose Boudreaux, Veronika Pasternak, Jaqueline Boyington, Huang Shuyi, Aleksandra Lavrinenko, Aya Amundsen, Marie Korbel, Stefanie Kleinheyer, and Jasmine Wrightman. They made up the group going to Northern Europe. The third column displayed everyone else's names; they were the ones who would go with the carrier group to the Middle East. Kaminari was a little bummed that she wouldn't be flying with Makoa, but she was still excited at the prospect of finally doing what she was training to do as a witch.

Maia and Anna made their way off the stage to meet with Air Chf. Mshl. Maloney. "That was quite the speech you gave back there, Air Chief Marshal," said Maia.

"Thank you," said Maloney.

"What are you going to do now," asked Anna.

"I have to head back to Central Command down in London," Maloney answered.

"Already," asked Maia, "You're not gonna be able to stay for dinner?"

"Well, I won't be leaving until late tonight," said Maloney, "so I'll be able to stick around for a while longer."

"Awesome," said Maia, "Everyone from Liberion is handling tonight's dinner. Lieutenant Junior Grade Pelletier's cooking seafood tonight, Commander Anabuki is going to make some poke, Major Katajainen's gonna make biscuits, and Captain Boudreaux is also making beignets."

"Oooh, that sounds delicious," said Maloney, "But what's, um, po-kay?"

Anna seemed to have the same question on her mind. "Yeah, Maia, what exactly is po-kay?"

" _Poke,_ " corrected Makoa, who was behind the group and overheard the conversation, "is a raw salad consisting of cubed fish marinated with sea salt, roasted crushed candlenut, sesame oil, limu seaweed, and chopped chili pepper. I normally use _'Ahi_ , or Yellowfin Tuna, but I could also use _he'e_ , or octopus, other tunas, salmon, onions, furikake seasoning, hot sauce, flying fish roe, and other seaweeds."

"I think Gallians have a dish called _tartare_ that's similar to poke," said Maia.

"Mmmm, sounds yummy," said Anna.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Maloney.

"Thanks," said Makoa, rubbing her shoulders. "Man, I am super sore from yesterday's special training."

"Working hard, I presume?"

"In a sense, yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna head out with my sister and some friends. Lt. Juutilainen said she knows a nice joint just off-base. It was nice to meet you Air Chief Marshal Maloney, and nice speech."

"Thank you, and good luck tomorrow." The two shook hands, and Makoa left to join her group.

That night, Makoa lay in her bed, and was about to clock out, when she heard a soft knock on the door. Anko was already asleep, leaving her to be the only person able to answer the door. Getting out of bed very slowly and grudgingly, she walked towards the door and opened it just enough to see outside. Kaminari stood at the door in her pajamas. "Kaminari? What are you doing here so late," asked Makoa sleepily.

"Hey, Makoa-san. Can I….sleep…here…with you," asked Kaminari nervously, "I've been, um, thinking about….tomorrow….and, I just can't sleep in my own bed."

"Geez. Seriously? What are you, a kid? You're freaking sixteen. Go back to bed." Makoa began to close the door, but Kaminari stopped it from closing completely. Slightly grumpy, Makoa opened the door again.

"Please, Makoa-san? Since we're going to be deploying to different places tomorrow, this'll be the last time in a long time that I'll get the opportunity to do this. So please, just this once?" Thinking about it for a little while, Makoa finally relented and let Kaminari in.

"Oh, alright. Come in."

Kaminari did a small bow and entered the room; it was dark, with the only light coming from the still-open door, which Makoa quickly closed. She then turned on a small lamp, and proceeded to gather an extra blanket and pillow to set up on the couch. Laying out the blanket, she turned to Kaminari and said, "You can take my bed. I'll sleep here."

 _Geez, Makoa! That's not what I meant. Can't you take a hint?_ Kaminari thought to herself. "Oh, um, it's fine," she managed to say quietly.

"And what kind of person would that make me, huh," Makoa whispered, "I invite someone to sleep at my place and give them the least comfortable spot? Go on, take the bed. I'll be fine."

"I meant…that I'm sure that there's enough room for the both of us. Plus, do you really want to give up your comfortable bed for the couch?"

Makoa thought about that for a little bit, and then she grabbed her pillow and put it back on her bed. "Alright, we'll share my bed. But I better not wake up with you all up in my face, got it?"

"Okay," said Kaminari. She looked at Makoa's arm. "Looks like the magic is running out on your bandage. Want me to change it out?"

"Let's do it tomorrow," said Makoa, "I'm tired, and the light might wake Anko up." With that, she turned off the lamp, and walked over to her bed, where Kaminari was already lying. She decided to let her have the blanket, and lay down only with her pillow and pajamas. After a while, though, she was too cold to fall back to sleep. Seeing her in such discomfort, Kaminari offered her the blanket, which she took. They both lay side-by-side under the blanket. Kaminari was the first one asleep, and she snuggled up to Makoa's back.

 _Goddammit, what did I just say, Kaminari?_ Makoa thought. The warmth of her body actually felt pretty nice, though. She rolled over and looked at Kaminari's sleeping form hunched over her; when she reached over and touched her face, Kaminari smiled softly in her sleep. She smiled, too. _You know, I could get used to this,_ thought Makoa _, the relaxing warmth of someone else's body pressed up against my own. But with a guy, of course. Because doing this with a girl would be weird. Yet, here I am, and here she is. Gaugh! Why does she have to look so cute?_ Makoa decided that she liked this girl sleeping next to her, and she wouldn't mind a little skinship with her, but she wondered how she would take it when she found out she didn't want anything too intimate. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind, kissed Kaminari softly on the head, rolled back over, and closed her eyes.

* * *

0815 Hours October 20, 2015

RAF Coningsby 815th JAW Hangar

Myah Lucchini was not having it right now. "Three-and-a-half-weeks supply of MREs, chocolate bars, other candies, powdered coffee, sugar, matches, lighter, compass, survival knife, 27-millimeter cannon ammunition, oxygen mask, musette bag with extra ammo, my machine gun, my assault rifle, my sidearm, my headset, two packs of gum, AIM-120 AMRAAMs, AIM-132 ASRAAMs, Meteor missiles, AGM-65 Mavericks, Storm Shadow missiles, THIS bullshit, and a pair of nasty headphones." She tossed the _bullshit_ – a coil of nylon rope – along with the nasty headphones onto a mat on the floor next to her pack and all the other items she mentioned. She had no idea why they were issued the rope, but the headphones were an extra headset in case their original ones broke.

"What's your point," asked DJ, who was next to her with a similar spread of items.

"Well this stuff weighs more than I do! And I still got my Striker Unit, my pack, my clothes chest, and my Mauser cannon!"

"Where you keeping your headbands," asked DJ.

"I could use some more headbands," said Myah.

Everyone in the 815th and 413th was gathered in the 815th's hangar putting all of their equipment on weapons racks, their packs, and some chests they were issued. The girls boarding the witch carriers had one large chest, and the others going to the ships had two. They were also allowed to bring their musical instruments with them to help pass time. Evelyn and Mariela arranged to have a couple of drum sets be brought with them, Juliet wrangled a good-sized xylophone and a pair of mallets to bring with her, and Dorotea brought her mixer, electric instruments, and guitar; the others just brought their smaller instruments. Needless to say, it was all very heavy.

Pretty soon, everyone had everything buttoned down and packed, and the logistics personnel proceeded to load it all onto huge K Loader flatbed trucks or onto military heavy-lift trucks. The K Loaders then drove off to the waiting aircraft. Three buses parked themselves outside the hangar entrance, waiting to pick up the witches and take them to their respective vehicles. The time had come for everyone to say their goodbyes.

All around the hangar, the girls hugged, shook hands, and cried a little. Anko and Makoa did their signature handshake, and followed it with a tearful hug. "I don't want to leave you already," said Anko, "We've only been together for almost two years."

"It'll only be for a little while," Makoa reassured, "We'll see each other again in Afghanistan in about a month." She turned to Kaminari, hugged her, and kissed her on the head. "I'll see ya around, kiddo. Be safe."

"Y-yeah," said Kaminari with a sniffle, "You too. Take care of yourself. Sorry I didn't have time to change out your bandage this morning."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll just have Addy do some magic therapy now and then, and we can change it out when we see each other again." Makoa finally turned to Miyuki, and gave her a hug. "Take care of these two ladies, you hear?" she said, "And you be safe, too."

"Sure thing, Commander," said Miyuki.

Marie-Rose and Ludmila were acting a little awkward toward each other. Even though they were fierce rivals in almost every aspect, they were actually kind of sad that they wouldn't be going together on the first leg of the deployment. "You, uh, you take care," Ludmila stammered, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah. You too," said Marie-Rose, holding and rubbing her left arm. The two slowly shook hands and looked at each other seriously.

Donna and Gracie shared a tight hug. They both had maintained a close friendship since Donna caught Gracie trying to steal from her; it was thanks to her that Gracie turned her life around and joined the military. To this day, Donna still bothers Gracie for going into the Fleet Air Arm instead of the RAF. "You take good care of yourself, Gracie," said Donna, "If I find out that you're acting recklessly out there, you'll be hearing from me."

"Yes, _mum_ ," teased Gracie, "You keep safe out on the ocean. I know you haven't exactly gotten your sea-legs, yet."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me, lass. I'll be fine."

Gracie gave Donna another hug. "I'm really going to miss you, Dee Dee," she said.

"I'll miss you, too. I'll see you again, though, once we all get to Afghanistan."

Standing towards the front of the hangar were Maia, Stefanie, Lilo, Anna, and Katya; they were watching over the girls giving tearful farewells, softly smiling at the bonds that everyone had spent the past few months cultivating with one another. Stefanie spoke up first. "Kinda interesting how all of the descendants of the old 501st and the 507th Joint Fighter Wings are put together in the same planes. And they're even going to those JFWs' old areas of operations."

"Hm. You're right," said Anna.

"Quite a curious arrangement," said Katya.

"Too bad we're not deploying together, Stefanie," said Maia.

"Yeah," said Stefanie, "But you'll be fine. After all, you've got Lilo and Lucy keeping you company. Jasmine and I have to go with the group going to the north as the acting XO and CO."

"Yeah, I'll be with you on the ship," said Lilo, "So you won't be bored or feel alone."

Maia smiled to Lilo. "Ehe, thanks, Lilo."

"Shall we get this show on the road now," asked Stefanie.

"Yeah," said Maia. She stuck a couple fingers in her mouth and let out a loud shrill whistle. "Alrighty, 815! We leave in five minutes! Grab your packs, and get aboard those buses! Let's go, go, go, go, go!"

"413! Let's go! Grab your packs, and get on your buses!" shouted Anna.

As the witches gathered their remaining belongings, Stefanie patted Maia on her shoulder. "That was impressive. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," said Maia, "You take care of yourself out in Northern Europe."

"Thank you," Stefanie, "And you be careful over the Middle East. That's the center of action, right now, so it's really dangerous. I don't want to have to write a letter to your family." She extended her hand for a handshake, but Maia didn't take it. Instead, she came in for a big hug, which surprised her. After a few seconds, she backed off and saluted. Stefanie returned the salute, and then shook hands with Lilo. Then, she exchanged handshakes with Anna and Katya, grabbed her pack, and headed to the middle bus. Maia grabbed her pack and followed Lilo to the bus in the front; Anna and Katya went to the rear bus with their packs.

Once everyone was on board the buses, the drivers started up the engines, and began to drive out. The front bus headed towards the base gate, and then off to Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, where the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was waiting to take them; the trucks holding their belongings followed it. The other two buses turned towards two huge jets waiting out on the airfield. One was a Liberian CV-5C Mother Bird, a C-5C Galaxy refitted and modified to serve as a witch carrier. Aircraft like this one have been a regular sight to witches since 1991, so no one was too moved. It was the second jet that caught everyone's attention. It had a massive wingspan, on which hung six ginormous engines; unlike the Mother Bird's T-tail, it had twin tail swept back to resemble that of a dolphin's, with vertical stabilizers on each tip. While it was longer than but not as high as the CV-5C, it definitely was an overbearing presence on the tarmac.

"Whoa, that's the Antonov An-225 Mriya," said Lidiya, "They've been keeping it in the factories for a refit to be a witch carrier. Guess they finished up now."

"Yes, ma'am," said the driver in a thick Irish brogue, "In fact, this is its maiden voyage as a witch carrier. You chiselers will be the first to try her out."

"Looking forward to it," said Katya, "Any idea on when we'll be boarding?"

"Once the boys loading up your things give me the all-clear, then you can start getting aboard."

"Thank you very much," said Anna.

"I've always wondered, how do you do it?"

"What do you mean," asked Anna.

The driver turned off the engine, turned to sit sideways in his chair, and leaned an arm on the steering wheel. "I mean, go up there, half in the nip, with engines strapped to your legs, flying God knows how fast, while those Neuroi are shooting all manner of shite at ye. How do you do it? A normal girl would be scarlet to walk around in that, much less fight aliens in it." He gestured to Anna's Karlsland Luftwaffe uniform. Technically speaking, it was only half a uniform, as witches often don't wear shorts or pants.

"Well, our Striker Units require skin contact to maintain the flow of magic energy," said Anna, "so we're kinda limited to tights and stockings or long socks. Plus, I like how it makes us stand out, you know? What with all the 'being the defenders of humanity' stuff and all."

The driver chuckled. "Well, don't think it matters much 'ow you dress if you're flyin' too high for us boyos on the ground to see. You young ones keep doing a deadly job stickin' it to those Neuroi, and be safe. When ye all come back, first round'll be on me." He looked out the window, and saw that the logistics personnel had finished securing the witches' things into the Mriya and were giving him the all-clear to send them out. "Ah, looks like they're done. Right then, young ones, grab your packs. Let's get you on that plane." As the girls filed out to board, the driver shook hands with each one and wished them all well.

The planes haven't yet started their engines, so it wasn't really noisy yet; however, the sound of the APUs going off, along with the drone of the buses' and trucks' diesel engines made it very loud outside. When Makoa stepped onto the tail ramp, she thought she could see Anko boarding the CV-5C across from her; she waved, but Anko was too far away to notice.

Once everyone was on-board the jets and in the upper deck, the deck officer closed the tail and nose ramps. The buses and trucks, their tasks complete, turned around and head back to the hangars. Once all vehicles and personnel were clear, the big jets powered up their engines. All at once, the air reverberated with the sounds of their powerful engines spooling up to idle. Receiving the all-clear to move, the big An-225 moved first, followed by the Mother Bird. The planes made their way to the runway and lined up. Since the 225 was first, it was the first to take off. When it got the clearance to take off, the pilot opened the throttle, and it lumbered down the runway into the sky with a whistling roar. The Mother Bird was next, following the giant Mriya with the growling whine characteristic of C-5s. The two behemoths flew in formation until they reached the North Sea, where they split off and headed to their respective areas of operation. Looking out the small window in one of the doors, Makoa waved goodbye to her sister and friends one last time.

Wistfully watching the big Antonov through a window in the CV-5C, Kaminari took out her Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera and took a picture as it banked off towards Eastern Europe. Anko, standing next to her, put an arm around her shoulders. "Three and a half weeks is a short time, if you think about it," she said, "We'll see them again before you know it." Kaminari knew that she said that to comfort both her and herself, and they waved goodbye together.

* * *

2200 Hours, October 21, 2015

Eastern European/Western Orussian Airspace

DJ and Lidiya expertly landed their Strikers inside the Mriya and quickly powered them down. They'd just finished an evening patrol; the last for the day, as Anna decided that they would fine until they reached their area of operations. They were assigned a circular piece of sky over the border of Eastern Karlsland, Northeastern Ostmark, and Western Orussia designated "B7R"; a hive had just opened up there, and immediately the Neuroi set about subduing the land below it, expanding to the size of B7R. The once-lush mountain forest became an arid wasteland, with wide open skies where Neuroi fighters reigned. The Neuroi here were responsible for the ongoing conflict in the Donbass Region of Orussia and the attack on Kiev. Because of its circular shape, it was dubbed "The Round Table".

Once they docked, they got out of their Strikers, greeted the deck crew, and made their way up to the passenger cabin. Since the An-225 was so big, there was a lot of space for an upper deck, so the designers working on its refit gave special consideration to the witches using it and made the cabin especially large. It featured accommodations such as bunk beds and closets for twenty witches, which was one more than the group's size; it had three bathrooms and two showers; it had a good-sized lounge with couches, a coffee table, and a TV with a videogame console; there was even a small galley with a fully-stocked fridge and a dining table. "Man, they truly spared no expense in giving us the greatest in military comfort," said DJ.

"Yup," said Lidiya, "Orussian ingenuity at its finest." She smiled proudly.

"I could get used to this. Too bad Suomus is too small for something like this. We can't manufacture our military equipment, so we purchase them from other countries."

"Hey, the Hornets aren't anything to sneeze at," said Makoa, "Liberian ingenuity's just as good as Orussian ingenuity." She shrugged. "Maybe even better."

"Hey now, we are sitting in the largest and heaviest flying machine in the human world," said Katya, "And we've made the largest air combat Striker Unit in the world. What Liberian aircraft can have those claims to fame?"

"We pioneered stealth tech. We've got the fastest and highest-flying Striker Unit in the human world. And we've got the most powerful military in the human world, with 10, count 'em, 10 aircraft carriers and more on the way."

"We have the largest surface combat ship in existence, the largest submarine in existence, and our aircraft carrier has missiles."

Katya stood up out of her chair. Makoa did the same. The two girls eyeballed each other intensely, getting real close to each other. They remained this way for a good bit. Everyone looked at them, nervous that fists would be thrown. After a while, Makoa and Katya smiled, and began to laugh loudly. They hugged each other, and Katya produced a bottle of vodka and a pair of shot glasses. Placing the glasses on the coffee table, she opened up the vodka and poured some into them. She then offered one glass to Makoa. Makoa initially tried to refuse. "Oh, I can't, I'm sorry. US legal drinking age is 21."

"Oh, nonsense. We're not in the US right now," said Katya, "We're in Eastern Europe. In Karlsland, the drinking age is 16. And in Orussia and Ostmark, 18. So, somewhere in this sky, you're legal." She offered Makoa the glass again. "We are about to embark on our first combat deployment as a unit. If not now, when?"

"Ah, what the hell? You only live once, right?" Makoa took the glass, and said, " _Mahalo nui loa_." Clinking her glass with Katya's, she knocked it back, and drank its contents. All at once, a fiery sensation raced through her body, and she began to feel dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut, hung her head, and let out a big breath. "Holy Mother of God," she gasped.

"How is it? Good, yes?" asked Katya.

"It's like drinking fire!"

"Here, the next one should go down a bit easier." Katya took Makoa's glass and refilled it.

"I don't know if I can do that again, man." But she took it anyway and downed it. "CHEE HU! You know, I'm feeling pretty alive right now. I don't think I can sleep anymore."

Katya began to offer shots of vodka to everyone else; some took it reluctantly, others less so. Ayumi was one of those who took it reluctantly, but Katya insisted on the grounds of Ayumi's recent promotion to Junior Admiral, or _Kaishō-ho_ in Fusan. "That was two months ago, though. And you do not want to see me drunk. I'm a real lightweight when it comes to alcohol."

"At least one shot? Just one?"

"O-ok…?" Ayumi took a glass and knocked it back, downing the contents. Her reaction was similar to Makoa's. "Wow! This stuff is stronger than sake."

"You know," said Gracie, "we probably shouldn't be getting wasted on duty. We must be ready for anything. We're gonna be hitting The Round Table soon, anyway."

"Okay, I'll put away the vodka, then," said Katya.

Everyone still seemed too awake to sleep; well, most everyone, as Frederica Hartmann was already fast asleep on her bunk. She didn't bother to take a shower, and instead simply shed her clothes, dropped them around the floor, and plopped right onto her bunk without even covering herself in her pajamas or blanket. She lay there in her undergarments. "What the hell, Hartmann?" said Evelyn Barkhorn, who had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing her pajamas. She proceeded to straighten out Frederica's uniform, putting it on a hanger and placing it in the closet. Then, she carefully moved the blanket out from under her and placed it over her body. "A soldier of Karlsland should be more disciplined. Plus, you'll catch a cold if you don't keep warm." Once she finished tucking Frederica in, she walked to the galley, poured herself a cup of coffee from the machine that's been working, and sat back at the lounge.

DJ had grabbed her travel guitar, and was busy playing simple riffs on it while Mariela drummed along on a drum pad as well as other surfaces around her. "Hey, since operations start up tomorrow, I think we should actually follow Frederica's example and hit the racks, don't you think?" suggested Evelyn.

"That's actually a good idea, Evy," said Anna.

"Alright, then, tell you what," said DJ, "How about I play us something slow and relaxing to get us in a sleeping mood?" She began to play a slow peaceful riff on her guitar and began to sing.

 _Oh, what a marvelous sight_

 _Oceans turn to gold right before my eyes_

 _That vibrant color I crave_

 _Wish I could taste_

 _Take me there, take me there_

Fusing with her familiar, she utilized her magic ability and produced a handful of clones to help her sing harmonies. Everyone listened in contently as she kept singing.

 _I'll dive in the sky, oh the water's alive_

 _I'll float down to soak in the stars_

 _Swim away from the night, I am swallowed by light_

 _Suddenly love doesn't seem very far_

* * *

Suomus Airspace

Meanwhile, most of the girls in the Mother Bird had gone to sleep, and the cabin lights were shut off. Engulfed in the near darkness, Kaminari looked out the small window at the night sky; at short regular intervals, the wings and engines of the plane would be lit by the nav lights flashing away on the wingtips. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Anko in her glasses and pajamas. "Still thinking about Makoa," she asked. Kaminari silently nodded her response.

"I wouldn't worry too much about her," said Anko, "She's a strong girl. She'll be fine. And she's got a bunch of good friends and fellow witches beside her."

"Nn," said Kaminari.

"Come on, let's get to bed."

"Ok."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a tremendous boom, and the plane lurched violently, knocking everyone out of their bunks. Everything and everyone not secured to the floor or bulkheads was thrown pugnaciously onto the floor. The rushing sound of the wind could be heard even though there was no visible breach in the cabin, and along with it was a sound rising in pitch that sounded like the engines throttling up. "What in the fucking hell was that?!" screamed Jasmine, jolted wide awake by the painful impact with the floor.

"I don't know!" Stefanie shouted over the cacophony, "I'm gonna try and ask the guys up in the cockpit!" But before she could take another step, another boom echoed and the plane jolted violently again, sending her careening into the side of a bunk. She fell back, knocked out from the impact, which left a gash over the left side of her head. As if it was caught in the mouth of a dog, the plane lurched and jolted brutally all over the place.

"Oh, my God!" screamed Jasmine, "Stefanie! Kaminari, get yer ass over here! Stefanie's bleeding!"

Kaminari scrambled over as fast as she could, and studied Stefanie's injury. "There's no time to get my medkit, but she'll make it!" She fused with her familiar, placed her hands on Stefanie's head, and proceeded applying magic healing to the wound.

Then, as if the giant dog that had caught the Mother Bird in its mouth threw it aside, the plane began to rotate in a flat spin.

* * *

Eastern European/Western Orussian Airspace

Back in the Mriya, a similar situation befell Makoa and the girls. In the middle of her song, DJ was knocked out of her seat, and nearly smashed her guitar on the coffee table. Everyone else huddled together on the floor, even Frederica, who was cruelly thrown from her comfortable bed and onto the floor. She crawled over to the rest of the girls, still covered in her blanket. "What is happening?!" she shouted over the noise engulfing the cabin.

"I don't know!" shouted Anna, "Don't try to get up! Stay low, stay together!"

Everyone grabbed onto each other and bunched close together as best as they could. As another jolt rocked the plane, everyone screamed. The big jet then went into a flat spin.

In both planes, a bright purple light shone through the windows, casting everything and everyone in a light brighter than daytime. An extremely loud electronic hum reverberated through the air, drowning out the girls' screams and any other sounds present. The air seemed to crackle with electric energy, causing everyone's hair to stand up on end.

The planes continued their flat spin.

They spun faster and faster.

And then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

 **[End of Chapter 4]**

 _Damn…I had no idea that time travel could be so intense. Whoa….Ahem! Let's uh…..let's get the references going, huh?_

 _The title is based off of a line from the song "Celestial" by Tori Kelly. DJ also sings a part of this song, too._

 _The author also took inspiration from scenes and quotes from the shows "The Pacific" and "Band of Brothers". Both are shows based off of real lives from two different Theaters of WWII._

 _And I guess that's about it. Anyway, I gotta get going. See ya._


	5. Chapter 5: The Water's Alive Part II

_Hey, I'm back now. Phew, that last chapter's ending was pretty crazy, huh? I wonder what's gonna happen next. Let's hop to it, then!_

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced…

"Siren! Break Right!"

"Ok! Ok! Ok! I admit defeat! I forfeit! Oh, please, please don't blast me!"

"Oh, you poor, poor girl. Did I really scare you that much?"

"I think you stole my heart today."

"We up at Central Command have been keeping close tabs on you all for the past few months since the newest transfers into the 815th flew in, and we have all seen fit to send you to the front lines."

"Hey, Makoa-san. Can I….sleep…here…with you? I've been, um, thinking about….tomorrow….and, I just can't sleep in my own bed."

"I don't want to leave you already. We've only been together for almost two years."

"It'll only be for a little while. We'll see each other again in Afghanistan in about a month."

"Three and a half weeks is a short time, if you think about it. We'll see them again before you know it."

"What in the fucking hell was that?!"

"Don't try to get up! Stay low, stay together!"

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Celestial, Part II: The Water's Alive**

1035 Hours, October 22, 2015

International Waters off Britannian Coast, North Sea

BAM! Maia's fist sailed through the air and landed hard on the table in the command and control room. "What do you mean they're gone?!" she yelled at the sailor who'd just given her news of the CV-5C's and An-225's apparent disappearance. Her normally-slow-to-anger behavior was replaced with one of complete and total anger. She couldn't believe what she was hearing at first. "It's human error. It has to be." She and her group of witches from the 815th and 413th were aboard the _HMS Queen Elizabeth_ , and they had just rendezvoused with Task Force 119, a massive multinational fleet consisting of 22 ships.

"W-well, ma'am," the sailor started, "the AWACS and ATC boys lost contact with the Mother Bird and Mriya at about 2200 hours last night. As soon as they saw their disappearance from the radar displays, they sent out SAR flights to their last-known position. When they found nothing, they increased the grid sizes, but they still could not find anything. Not even wreckage. For all intents and purposes, ma'am, they're gone."

BAM! Maia's fist pounded the poor table once more. " _Merde!_ Request for more SAR patrols. They can't have just simply vanished out of thin air." Truth be told, she'd rather they did than what she thought might've happened to them. The Mriya was in fact heading for The Round Table, after all. That area was notorious for particularly nasty Neuroi encounters; in her mind, Maia thought that they were captured or shot down, and that the same fate beheld the Mother Bird. _Maybe they were completely vaporized by some God-awful megabeam….oh, Lord Jesus, please let that not be the case!_

Maia sat back on a chair, and dismissed the sailor with as polite a 'thank you' as she could muster. She hung her head, utterly deflated. She could not believe that this was happening. "Goddammit all," she said to herself, "I just got this command not 4 months ago, and already some big disaster happens. I guess I'm a fool for believing that I could get by without an incident."

She looked up at the display screen. It showed a complete map of the North Sea, the European portions of the Arctic Ocean, and the northern portion of the Atlantic Ocean, with all of the airborne and seaborne traffic moving through that area. Blue dots signified friendly military aircraft, and white signified friendly civilian aircraft; ships had a similar color designation, but were denoted as squares. She focused her attention on one particular ship, displayed about 940 kilometers north of where they were. It looked like an old bulk carrier or oiler in size. With bigger things on her mind, she paid the odd ship no mind. Until she saw a group of red dots and squares moving toward that ship. _Or, rather, right towards us,_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, an urgent message came in from one of the ASW destroyers; they detected multiple subsurface threats on the same heading as the surface and air threats. The alarm went up for general quarters, and the sounds of sailors rushing to their battle stations could be heard from outside the hatches. Maia made her way to the air group ready room in the aft island tower; as the CAG, or Commander of the Air Group of the task force, she was in charge of air operations. The rest of the 815th and 413th elements that travelled with her were already there, along with a squadron of 12 Fleet Air Arm witches and another squadron of 12 F-35 pilots. All were awaiting orders from Maia.

"Ahem, okay, listen up," she said, "Radars are picking up a large group of Neuroi aircraft, ships, and subsurface combatants making a beeline right for us. Standing in their way is another ship, possibly an oiler or cargo vessel. We need to intercept the Neuroi before they can get to us, but try to get there before they can sink the civilian vessel." As she spoke, a projector screen showing a map of the North Sea displayed the locations of the mentioned craft on the wall behind her. "Garuda Flight, Lilo, you'll scramble out first, with four Lightnings following as a strike package, designated Falco Team. Lt. Col. Guerrera, Capt. 3rd Rank Romanov, Lt. Dalca, and I will fly AWACS and ESM. We'll also be followed by a group of Nereids from the Orussian submarine _Arkangelsk_. Garuda Flight, Lilo, clear a path for the Lightnings and Nereids."

"Yes, ma'am," said the mentioned witches and airmen.

"The rest of you will remain here at the ready in case the Neuroi want to take the fight to us. Okay, girls, let's get going."

"Yes, ma'am!" All at once, everyone stood up from their seats and made their way to the flight deck outside. Their Striker units and aircraft were already loaded with fresh munitions, and they had only but to hop in and start them up. Rachel Denny, Michelle "Connie" Lampert, Pauline-Josephine de Montgolfier, Lucy, Anastasia, and Antonia clipped on their sidearm holsters and ammo packs, and put on their headsets and wrist-mounted flight computers. Then, they grabbed their lighter guns: Rachel had an L8682 Light Support Weapon, Connie had an L110A3 LMG, Pauline had a Hecate II AMR, Lucy had her MG3, Maia had her FAMAS assault rifle, Anastasia had her Dragunov SVU sniper rifle, and Antonia had her PSL sniper rifle.

Now that they had picked out their small arms, they climbed up their Striker cradles' ladders and into their Striker Units. Fusing with their familiars, they fed magic power into the engines, starting them up with low hums rising in pitch. Then, they grabbed their autocannons: Rachel, Connie, and Lucy used a Mauser BK-27 27mm revolver cannon, Pauline used a GIAT 30M 791 30mm revolver cannon, and Antonia had her GSh-23 23mm dual-barrel autocannon. Now they had everything they needed to show the Neuroi a good time. Garuda Flight detached from the cradles and taxied out to the flight line; Lilo, whose legs had converted to flight units, joined them as the fourth member. Rachel and Connie were the first pair forward, and the jet blast deflector rose up behind them. Rachel checked her left breast pocket for her lucky rabbit's foot from which she got her tactical designator. Receiving the green light from the light board, they thundered down the deck and up the ski jump at the bow.

Once airborne, Rachel banked slightly to the right and waited for Pauline and Lilo. Task Force 119 spread out before her. It was a massive fleet, containing ships from Britannia, Liberion, Gallia, Orussia, and Karlsland. At the center were the flagship _HMS Queen Elizabeth_ , the amphibious transport dock _USS New York_ , the amphibious assault carrier _FS Tonnerre_ , and the Nereid carrier _TK-17 Arkangelsk_ , a modified Typhoon-class submarine. The _Arkangelsk_ was busy launching Nereids from its launch bay. The _New York_ and the _Tonnerre_ carried expeditionary brigades bound for the Middle East. Behind the center were the fast combat support ship _USNS Arctic_ and the replenishment oiler _RFA Fort Victoria_. Positioned in front of and behind these ships were the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser _USS Leyte_ Gulf and Slava-class guided missile cruiser _Marshal Ustinov_ , respectively. Ringing these ships were eight destroyers. Royal Navy Type 45 air defense destroyers _HMS Dragon, HMS Defender,_ and _HMS Daring_ formed the front half; Gallian Navy Aquitaine-class ASW destroyers _FS Aquitaine_ and _FS Provence_ had each side; and US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers _USS Ross, USS Porter,_ and _USS Winston S. Churchill_ formed the back half of the ring. Outside of the destroyers were four frigates; the Brandenburg-class frigates _FGS Bayern_ and _FGS_ _Mecklenburg-Vorpommern_ of the Karlsland Navy held the front, and the La Fayette-class frigates _FS Surcouf_ and _FS La Fayette_ of the Gallian Navy held the rear. Finally, cruising on each side of this moving sea-fortress were the Los Angeles-class subs _USS San Juan_ and _USS Albany_.

Once Pauline and Lilo were in the air, they made a heading due north and accelerated to full military power. Following behind them were four Royal Navy FGR1 Lightnings, the Britannian designation of the Liberian F-35B Lightning; that was Falco Team. On the flight deck, Maia watched them go, and then lined up for her take-off run. After everyone in her flight took off and formed up, they flew to a position above and behind the witches and Lightnings. As they made their way towards the mystery ship, Maia wondered in her head what could be so important about it that the Neuroi would send such a large force to attack it. Down below, the rest of the task force prepared for possible combat.

* * *

1035 Hours, October 22, 2015

International Waters 940km North of Task Force 119, North Sea

The _CRNS Calypso_ sailed through the ocean. To the untrained eye, it would seem as though it was chugging along peacefully, albeit with a dark cloud of coal smoke trailing behind it from its smokestacks. However, a closer look would have revealed a less peaceful sight; a handful of people lay flat on the decks; they had blood streams coming down their ears, and were jittering and shaking as if hit with electricity. Also, the flight deck was slightly singed and smoking, and if one were to look below, they would see that anything not nailed down was thrown all over the place. Thankfully, it seemed that nobody was too injured, except for the handful that lay outside.

Diana Evans, a young girl of 8 years, sat up from her position on the hangar deck, rubbing her head; she banged it onto something hard during whatever hell just unfolded a few minutes ago. Not noticing her hair standing on end due to residual static electricity, she looked around the messy hangar. Girls and a few boys around her age and younger all stirred from their positions lying on the deck, along with some men. "Is everyone okay?" she called out.

"Yeah, I think so," said Latonya Morris, a dark-skinned girl of 6 years. Although she was thrown onto the floor from her wheelchair, she seemed otherwise uninjured. Everyone else answered in the same uneasy manner, getting up from the floor. Tracie Osborne, a white-skinned girl of 5 years and Tonya's best friend helped her into her wheelchair.

"What the fuck just fucking happened," asked Megan Wilson, a girl who, despite being Tracie's age, curses enough to make any sailor blush.

Wilson Tyson, a recent addition to the _Calypso_ crew, said, "Well, aside from the sky turning bright purple, the loud noises, and the static electricity making our hair stand up, I think we made out okay."

"Well whatever it is, it's done now, and we've gotta get to work cleaning this place up," said Diana. Then, she noticed the jittery guys outside on the gun deck. "Wendy! Mary! We've got wounded! Go check on them!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Wendy O'Brian, a slightly chubby girl of 5 years.

"I heal!" exclaimed Mary O'Brian, another chubby girl of just 1-and-a-half and Wendy's younger cousin. The two healers ran to attend to the jittery sailors.

"Susie," said Diana, "get up to your post on the island, and see if there are any Neuroi coming in."

"Roger dodger," said Susan Garibaldi, a white-skinned witch of 5 years. "You know, I've always wondered where that phrase came from. I mean, it all sounds really cool, since it rhymes and stuff. But where did it come from? Who thought it was a good idea to put 'dodger' after 'roger'? Why does it sound so cool? I often ask these questions about a lot of things, you know. I just get so curious about the world. Like, one day, I saw a seagull, and I thought, 'why does it have black wingtips and a yellow beak?' And then, I saw it dive into the ocean and grab a fish. And then, one day – "

"Just get to the island," said Diana, "One more minute wasted here is one less minute we could have to prepare for a Neuroi attack."

"Okay," said Susan. She left and went up a flight of stairs.

Diana decided to follow her up to the gargantuan island. She walked out over the still-smoking flight deck towards the bridge to talk with the captain, Gary Reynolds. "Captain, anything amiss since the sky turned purple," she asked.

"Well," said Captain Gary Reynolds, "the lookouts haven't spotted any differences in the landmarks. Baltland is still north of us, with the Highlands of Scotland still to our west. Though the flight deck looks like it was set on fire, the crew says it's still structurally sound enough to conduct flight operations on. I say we should continue our course of action and keep patrolling this area."

"Okay, I'll go let the girls and guys know." Diana turned to leave the bridge. No sooner than she'd done so, Susie's voice came over the intercom.

"Guys, I'm picking up a HUGE number of Neuroi coming at us real fast! And I mean fast!" She sounded urgent.

"How much time do we have until they arrive," asked Diana.

"You should have been in your Strikers five minutes ago! I can see them already! Crap, they're firing! WAAAH!"

The intercom cut out as bolts of red Neuroi laser energy peppered the already-singed flight deck and island with black holes. Diana ducked behind a console to shield herself from the attack, and then carefully made her way to the railing outside. As she looked up into the sky, she saw three little delta-shaped Neuroi pulling up out of their attack run. She had never seen such a Neuroi like that before; normally, they'd be slow gargantuan beasts of the air firing beams of powerful energy. These little things seemed to defy everything she knew about Neuroi. She called for Susie. "SUSIEEEE!"

"I'm here! I'm here. I'm not hurt. Surprisingly," came Susie's reply from atop the island. She climbed down from her perch and stood next to Diana. "What in the world kind of Neuroi are those? I don't think I've ever seen one move that fast. And last time I checked, didn't Neuroi fire beams? Anyway, we should hurry and scramble, or something. Before those things came in, I detected a lot more Neuroi coming our way. What are your orders?"

"Have Alpha Flight scramble immediately. That means you, too," said Diana.

"Roger dodger." Susie ran down to the forward hangar deck to relay Diana's orders and prepare for launch.

As the alarm for general quarters rang out from the loudspeakers, the ship came alive with activity. All around her sailors rushed to their battle stations, and the rear deck elevator descended into the rear hangar deck to bring up Gamma Flight and their F3F biplane fighters. Immediately, the _Calypso_ 's four old 1.1in quad anti-aircraft guns erupted to life, futilely doing what they could to keep the fast Neuroi things at bay. Diana looked towards the bow, and could see the four members of Alpha Flight taking off out of the hangar; however, a look into the sky showed that they would have their work cut out for them, as the three Neuroi that attacked them were joined by nine more just like them, which were also joined by eight larger Neuroi aircraft and… _ships?_ Diana counted eight more seaborne Neuroi; they had a sharp nose like that of a bird's beak, and they sat on two hulls like a catamaran. It was definitely an odd thing, even for a Neuroi.

The Neuroi seacraft fired what looked like torpedoes into the water, which the lookouts spotted. The _Calypso_ turned violently towards the incoming threats. Diana could see that more witches would be required than just the four from Alpha Flight. She ran down from the island and into the hangar deck to prepare the rest of the 555th for launch.

Meanwhile, Megan, Susie, Tanisha, and Cindy of Alpha Flight were having are really hard time. Where there were three small Neuroi fighters, there suddenly were twenty, all very fast and very nimble. Eight of those were larger things that seemed to making attempts at the _Calypso. Not if I fucking have anything to fucking say about it_ , Megan thought as she brought Alpha Flight down to line up an attack on the larger Neuroi aircraft. The four girls executed a textbook diving attack out of the sun, and would've easily shot down those eight Neuroi had it not been for four of the smaller Neuroi that appeared seemingly out of nowhere firing bolts of lasers at them.

"Shit! Break off the fucking attack and fucking get those motherfuckers," exclaimed Megan. The girls rolled over and began firing their weapons; Megan fired her Browning BAR, Susie fired her Federov Avtomat M1916, Cindy fired her twin M2 Carbines, and Tanisha fired her Browning M1919 machine gun. When the fighters answered back with their laser bolts, the girls put up their shields and kept firing. The fighters didn't break their attack under the fusillade of bullets; rather, it seemed that they accelerated faster and faster towards the witches, trailing fragments from the various holes they were receiving. They barreled right through the girls' shields and formation, disorienting them.

"What the fuck, man?!" shouted Megan as she was shaking her head to clear it, "That's supposed to be my fucking trick."

"Dese Neuwoi weally mean," said Cindy. She was recovering from a tumble.

"Yes, they are a particularly nasty bunch," said Tanisha. She'd gotten hit by the wave of high-speed air that followed the Neuroi's wake. All the girls expended their spent clips, levered fresh ones in, and chased after their attackers; unfortunately, the Neuroi left them in the dust.

Meanwhile, the _Calypso_ was maneuvering wildly to avoid the Neuroi torpedoes that seemed to come from all directions, her 1.1in quad guns still spitting fire. A seaborne Neuroi was attempting an attack run on her, but Tonya and Wendy intercepted it before it could line up. Tonya fired her HVARs at the Neuroi ship, but it fired a rapid stream of laser bolts, shredding the rockets before they even came close. Frustrated, Tonya began firing the M2 50-caliber machine guns mounted on a Scarff ring in front of her; unfortunately, despite all of her bullets hitting thanks to her projectile guidance ability, her fusillade failed to do any damage against the Neuroi ship's armor. It began to fire beams at her and the _Calypso_ , which Wendy and Mary blocked with their powerful shields.

Back in Alpha Flight, Megan and the girls were chasing after a squadron of those delta-shaped Neuroi fighters; they had zoom climbed to try and get some altitude to dive and gain speed. Once they had gotten close enough, they fired their guns, briefly peppering the Neuroi with holes. Midway through their volley, Tanisha's machine gun abruptly stopped firing. "Aw, crap!" she said, "My gun's jammed. I'm gonna use my Firestorm."

"Tanisha, no!" said Megan, "You know what fucking happens when you do."

"Do I have a choice, Meggie? I've got nothing else to use." Tanisha held up her hands, charged up her magic, and let loose a powerful stream of hot fire. The Neuroi, seeing the attack, dispersed from their formation and nimbly dodged the firestorm. "I….missed…" Tanisha sighed with a combination of dejectedness and exhaustion. She began to waver in flight, and Megan grabbed her before she fell out of the sky.

"Godammit, Tanisha," she scolded, "I told you to watch yourself."

"I'm…sorry…Captain…"

"Get back to the fucking ship now, and rest up."

"Yes, Megan." Tanisha attempted to line up with the _Calypso's_ flight deck, but she was intercepted by the Neuroi fighters who were strafing the deck. Subsequent attempts to land were met with the same outcome. Anytime someone would try and escort her down, they would be attacked and rendered unable to assist. So she flew back to Megan. "Sorry…couldn't make it…Neuroi wouldn't let me go…."

Megan wrapped her arm under Tanisha's armpits to keep her up. "Stay fucking with me. We'll deal with these fuckers and get you back to the fucking ship."

Soon, all of the 555th JFW was engaging the Neuroi ships and aircraft as best as they could; Command Flight and Alpha Flight did their best against the twenty small delta-shaped fighters and larger attack planes; Beta Flight did what they could going after the Neuroi ships; even the F3Fs of Gamma Flight did their best against aircraft that easily flew two-to-three-times as fast as them. The air battle continued, with the girls and pilots throwing their ancient Strikers and planes against these advanced Neuroi; they were able to score some hits here and there. However, for all their heroics and fighting spirit, the Neuroi's steep technological advantage was beginning to turn the tide of battle against the _Calypso_ and the 555th. The Neuroi closed the witches and pilots into a small airspace around the _Calypso_ ; Gamma Flight barely had enough room to orbit the carrier. The witches were soon fatigued from hard fighting, constant maneuvering, and low magic levels. To everyone, it seemed like this was the end.

Capt. Reynolds hung his head, and opened a channel for the crew, witches, and airmen to hear. Speaking slowly and softly, he said, "Ladies, gentlemen, while some of you are quite young, you put that aside and chose to fight for humanity's sake anyway. It has been a genuine honor to serve alongside each and every one of you. Whatever may come next, may we face it together, not as sailors and airmen put together on the same ship, but as one family."

Tracie looked at Tonya with tears streaming down her face and said, "Tonya, I'm scared. I don't wanna die."

Megan was utterly furious and distraught. "Come on, you Neuroi fuckers! Get this fucking over with!" she shouted with her face red and soaked with tears. Tanisha, still held by Megan, managed a tired glare at the Neuroi.

"Yeah!" shouted Cindy, "Gimme you best shot!"

One of the larger Neuroi aircraft's laser emitters began to glow a bright red as it prepared to fire a megabeam to finish off the _Calypso_. As the energy built up, the girls put all they could into one last shield.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Neuroi attack aircraft and three others exploded into millions of white fragments. The other Neuroi scattered, believing that reinforcements had arrived. In the distance, four witches streaked in with these huge machine guns blazing away. Their fusillade made short work of the last four Neuroi attack planes. The four mystery witches turned their attention to the twelve smaller Neuroi fighters, keeping them busy while four diamond-winged jets came in and shot guided rockets into the Neuroi ships. Meanwhile, a group of Nereids dove into the water and an underwater dogfight ensued between them and various Neuroi submarines. The girls were shocked; what once looked like an inevitable Neuroi victory suddenly turned into miraculous rescue. The girls, pilots, and crew cheered on their guardian angels.

These angels were currently engaged in an intense dogfight with the last Neuroi aircraft; with their strike mission done, the diamond-winged jets joined the witches in the sky, bringing the odds up to eight versus twelve. Three of the witches flew these big jet-powered Strikers with delta-shaped wings and a pair of smaller wings in front of the bigger ones; the fourth's Striker had a more conventional wing. What was less conventional about the last one was the fact that it was firing red laser beams and bolts at the Neuroi, not unlike the beams and bolts that the girls had seen being fired at them. That last witch was even colored all black like a Neuroi, so it sort of blended in with the other three, whose Strikers were painted all black with a little red on the tip of the tail. Could it be some sort of disguise? Cindy didn't think so; seeing the lasers and black coloration of the last "witch", she immediately flew into action to dispatch the Neuroi imposter.

* * *

1100 Hours, October 22, 2015

International Waters 940km North of Task Force 119, North Sea

This battle had to have been the easiest ones that Garuda Flight engaged itself in. The big Manticore-class attack planes went down easily with the opening salvo of missiles and autocannon fire. The little Arion-class fighters, though formidable adversaries in the numbers they were presenting themselves, proved to be no match for the skilled witches. After all, the 413th JTFS is like a Special Forces team of witches, with Garuda Flight being reserved for the most clandestine and sensitive of missions. Then there was Lilo, who showed a level of skill equal to, even rivaling that of, Garuda Flight; she flew here and there, firing both laser beams and bolts at her former-sistren. To top it all off, Falco Team joined the fray after finishing off the Neuroi Hippocampus-class attack ships. Down below, the Nereids were engaging manta-ray-shaped Neuroi submarines, aptly-named Manta-class attack submarines. In no time at all, all threats had been neutralized, denoted by a shower of white fragments falling like snowflakes.

"Very nice job! Good work, girls," said Rachel to her Flight, including Lilo, "We've took care of them quick."

"Yeah, we did," said Connie, her wingman, "A real turkey shoot. It was as if they were just lining up for me to shoot them down."

"That was really satisfying," said Pauline.

"I had fun," chirped Lilo in her robotic voice.

Rachel chuckled, amused at how much fun everybody seemed to be having. Looking down at the old ship below them, she wondered aloud, "Hm, a carrier, huh? I wonder what this old thing is doing all the way out here with witches and aircraft that haven't been seen since the 1940s…"

Connie points out the Conch Republican Navy flag flying from the carrier's island mast. "That flag shows that it belongs to the Conch Republic. Huh. I know they're not the most advanced military in the world, but I'd have thought that they at least upgraded to jets and gas turbines by now."

"Well –" Lilo tried to say something, probably also regarding the old carrier and its embarked squadron, but she was cut off when a stream of bullets arced right at her, hitting her forcefield and causing her to duck. She silently said a 'thank you' to her makers for giving her forcefield projectors, and then flew down to face her attacker. It was one of the girls from the old carrier air group. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell? Why are you attacking me?" she wondered.

"You Neuwoi!" shouted the little girl, "You bad! I kill you!"

Lilo sighed. "Look at this. Look at this! I save their lives and they threaten to kill me anyway." She did her best to dodge the little girl's attacks, but the girl is proving to be a hard opponent. Despite her vintage equipment, she was quite the nimble one, performing turns and aerobatics which would have blacked out even a stunt pilot. Lilo admired her adversary's flying skill. "Go-lly! The Gs that girl must be pulling….WHOA!" Another stream of bullets whizzed past her, and she brought her head back in the game.

Meanwhile, Rachel, Connie, and Pauline were getting increasingly frustrated at the scene unfolding in front of them. While they could understand the girl's reasons for her attack on Lilo, they knew Lilo was a defector, and they treated her as a friend and squadron mate. So to see one of the people they rescued come so aggressively at their friend made them very angry, indeed. Looking down, they saw three more of the little witches try to fly up and assist their friend. Garuda flew down and stopped them with a point of their autocannons. "Ah-ah-ah. I'd stand down if I were you," said Connie threateningly, "I was having a pretty good day up until now, and your friend just ruined it. So if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans of seeing tomorrow, you would _not_ want to make me angrier than I already am."

One of the girls spoke up, "But our fucking friend is fighting a fucking Neuroi. She fucking needs our fucking help!" The others nodded in agreement.

"Well, excuse me, young lady," said Rachel, "But that Neuroi is a defector. She is a friendly. She has a lot of information about the Neuroi's tactics and strategies."

"Yeah, and if you kill her, I will personally make sure that you get your sorry arses out there and find us another one," Connie interjected.

This reality didn't seem to dawn on the little girls' faces. Falco Team had its hands full trying to thwart the biplanes' attempts to help the witch attacking Lilo using close passes and cutoffs, and the other witches were trying to fly to their friend's assistance. "Shamrock, Aigle," Rachel called without turning her head, "Go over there and stop the other girls before they do something they're going to regret."

"Roger," said Connie and Pauline. They peeled off and flew over to the other group.

"How the fuck are we gonna fucking regret shooting down a fucking Neuroi?" asked the girl who spoke up first earlier. She seemed to be this group's leader.

Rachel sighed angrily, "I'm telling you. She's a friendly. I know it may sound weird for you. But you cannot kill her. She saved you. Shouldn't that at least keep you from attacking?"

"Okay, fine," said the girl, "We will stay fucking here for now, but if your fucking so-called friend attacks Cindy, I will fucking kill her."

"Deal, and same for your 'Cindy'," said Rachel. She also saw that Connie and Pauline had also succeeded in keeping the other girls from joining in.

Connie's voice came in over the comlink, "Hey, Talisman. I just talked to one of the girls here, and she says she's the leader of this air group. She says she will tell the others to stand down, but cannot promise anything if Lilo hurts the girl Cindy."

"Thank you, Shamrock," said Rachel, "Hear that, Lilo? Don't hurt Cindy, or her friends are coming after you."

"I've been doing nothing but bobbing and weaving this whole time," said Lilo over the comlink, "I can't even try to shoot if I wanted to, which I don't. And who's Cindy?"

"She's your friend up there."

"Oh."

"You fucking gave the fucking Neuroi a name?" asked the girl Rachel had been talking to.

"Yes, yes we did," said Rachel.

Maia's voice came over the comlink, "Garuda 1, I see that all threats have been neutralized, but there are a large number of unidentifieds around you. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Lion 1, be advised, we have a slight situation here," said Rachel, "The unidentifieds are friendlies from the Conch Republic, but apparently, they didn't get the memo about Lilo being a Neuroi defector. One of the witches is currently engaged with her right now, and I'm surrounded by a bunch of uneasy girls. Requesting you come over here and try and talk this out with them."

"Copy that, Talisman. I'm on my way."

Lilo was having an increasingly harder and harder time with the girl Cindy. It seemed that the girl would come out of nowhere, taking her tail and firing her rifle at her. Lilo would constantly have to use her only advantage – speed – to accelerate away from Cindy to keep her from continuing her attack. She needed to try and convince her somehow that she was not a bad guy anymore. She decided to go into a standing hover and wait for Cindy to come close. As Cindy fired her weapon, bullets pinged off of Lilo's forcefield. Cindy did not appear to be slowing down; in fact, it looked like she was speeding up. "Oh my. She's making to ram," said Lilo.

However, something different happened. Instead of running right into Lilo like a bull would, Cindy whirled back and came at her with a barb on her lower back. "Holy crap!" Lilo shouted as she narrowly blocked and dodged the incoming attack, scraping her right arm. Immediately, her regeneration kicked in and the gash began to close. Cindy moved for another attack.

Apparently, the crew aboard the small carrier didn't get the message about not trying to kill Lilo either, and they resumed their AA barrage. "Gah! It was hard enough to fly and dodge this girl's attacks, but now, with all this flak in the sky, damn near impossible," said Lilo dejectedly, "Ugh, this is just ridiculous!"

There had to be some way to convince Cindy and the rest of this crazy air group that she is a friendly. First, she had to figure this girl out. She again went into a standing hover and waited for Cindy to come at her again with her barb. As the AA bursts deflected off of her forcefield, she noticed Cindy fly in fast at her; her sensors and data processors kicked as she observed, studied, and analyzed Cindy's movements. A slight aileron movement here, a little twist of her leg there, her age, her size, her heart rate, her weapon, her familiar, and her choice of Striker, all factored in to give Lilo a complete and full picture of Cindy's capabilities and fighting style. "An insect familiar, huh? That's definitely one for the data banks, and it explains the stinger, too," she said as she gathered all of this information. She now knew what to do to get close to Cindy without getting impaled by her barb.

Cindy closed in for another barb attack. She accelerated as fast as her P-26 Peashooter allowed her to. Lilo braced for the impact. And noticed that Cindy was about to fly right into the AA storm. Thinking quickly, she accelerated toward her, shouting, "Look out, kid!" As Cindy whirled back for the impalement, Lilo blocked the barb with her arm, gashing it again, and grabbed her in a tight embrace. At that moment, all four of the _Calypso_ 's AA guns fired, engulfing both witch and Neuroi in a furious firestorm. Realizing they may have hurt a friendly, the gunners stopped firing, and the AA guns fell silent.

"CINDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" shouted Megan, who was watching from a higher altitude with the other girls and the older witches. "Tanisha, can you fucking fly on your own?"

"Yeah…I think so," said Tanisha, "Go get Cindy."

Megan let go of Tanisha, flew down to where the firestorm hit, and beheld an unusual sight. As the smoke cleared, Megan could just make out a shimmering near-transparent hexagon-covered ball, with the Neuroi girl Lilo, her arm regenerating from a gash, tightly hugging Cindy in the middle of it. Megan hung her mouth open in disbelief. "Y-you…you," she stammered. _Saved her,_ she thought in her head, but she quickly pushed that thought out of her mind. _No, no, it's fucking impossible! No fucking Neuroi would fucking do that. No, that Neuroi's gonna fucking strangle Cindy, or something._ However, despite the anger welling up inside of her, she could only manage to stammer, "Y-you fucking let her go."

"Wet me go! Wet me go!" said Cindy angrily. She was kicking and squirming to try and free herself, but to no avail. That Lilo had her stuck in her grip.

Megan let the anger out a little more in her next sentence. "Hey, you fucker. I said let her fucking go!" She moved closer to try and pry Cindy out from Lilo's grip.

Lilo aggressively turned her head and looked right into Megan's eyes. Or, at least, it seemed like that to Megan. When she looked at the Neuroi's face, she realized that it had no face. No eyes, no mouth; in fact, the only part of a face that it had was a nose. Yet, a voice seemed to emanate from this witch-like Neuroi saying, "Stay back! I do not want to hurt you or anybody else. Just let me have the chance to speak before you make your assumptions."

For a young girl like Megan, hearing this strange and oddly cute robotic voice come from a featureless visage was quite an unsettling experience. She froze in her place, and nervously nodded.

Lilo nodded her reply, and turned back to Cindy. "Now, are you going to behave, so I can let go of you?"

"Wet me go! Wet me go I say!" said Cindy. She was still squirming, kicking away at Lilo's legs.

"I will not release you until you calm down." Lilo squeezed tighter. This seemed to do the trick, and Cindy calmed down enough to let Lilo release her grip. Lilo continued speaking. "Look, I understand your sentiments towards me since I am a Neuroi. But that does not mean that I am _with_ the Neuroi. I can talk. The Neuroi cannot. I can think independently. The Neuroi cannot. I saved your life _TWICE_ , for crying out loud! The Neuroi will not. Is that not enough to convince you that I at least am different from the other Neuroi you have encountered?!"

"Wat you saying?" asked Cindy angrily.

"I am saying that I am not the enemy!"

"You Neuwoi! Me hate Neuwoi!"

"Why?"

Cindy clenched her fists and shouted, "NEUWOI KILL MY DADDY! DADDY WENT FIGHT DEM AND DEY KILLED HIM! ME KILL AW NEUWOI FOR DADDY!" At that moment, her eyes seemed to glow red with rage, and her hair stuck out like a mane. Hot tears of anger began to stream out of her face. It was such an intense display that Megan backed up and casted a shield.

Lilo appeared unfazed. Her next statement surprised both Cindy and Megan. "Please, kiddo, I need you to calm down. What the Neuroi did to you is bad. Losing your father at the time when you needed him most. That's a tough deal. I am truly sorry. Really."

Cindy's rage died down, but she was still sniffling. "W-weally? Y-you s-sowwy?"

"Yes, I am," said Lilo.

Cindy wiped her eyes. "You weally d-diffewent fwom odder Neuwoi….why?"

"When I worked for the Neuroi, I developed views that went against their ways. So they slated me for 'forceful deactivation', and tried to kill me. But I escaped and joined the humans."

"So, you Neuwoi, but you not bad?"

"Precisely," said Lilo with a nod.

"Wat dat mean?"

"What?"

Cindy tried with much difficulty to say the word that Lilo said earlier. "Pwe-sise-lee?"

"Exactly, affirmative, _sí, hai, jah, da, oui_ …in other words, yes," said Lilo.

"So you say yes?"

"Bada-bing, bada-boom! We have reached an understanding! So, are we good now?"

"Pwe-sise-lee!" said Cindy slowly.

"There you go, you're getting the hang of it, kiddo." Lilo offered her hand. "I'm Assault-Class Witchtype Neuroi X-626. Friends call me Lilo."

Cindy takes the handshake. "Me Cindy."

"It is a pleasure to properly meet you, Cindy."

"Why you called Wiwo?"

"Well, when I joined the humans, they designated me X-626. One of the humans who was part of my squadron named me Lilo after a character from a movie she saw."

"You sound funny," said Cindy.

"Hehe, I get that a lot. Britannian is in fact a second language to me." Lilo finally turned to Megan, and offered her hand again. "Hello, ma'am," she began, noticing the captain's rank insignia on her uniform, "I am Assault-Class Witchtype Neuroi X-626. Also known as Lilo."

Megan shook Lilo's hand, "The name's Captain Megan Wilson. Friends call me Meggie."

"Nice to meet you, Captain Wilson."

The rest of Garuda flew down to where Lilo, Cindy, and Megan were. They were a bit angry about Cindy's attack on their friend and fellow squadron mate. Rachel, being more of a quiet person, kept her concerns to herself. Connie, on the other hand, had other ideas; she almost saw the slaughter of a fellow squadron mate at the hands of those they just rescued. She viewed every squadron mate as a member of her family, and she was very, very protective of her family; it didn't matter to her what that squadron mate's former allegiances were. Connie flew over, grabbed Cindy by the shoulder, and spun her around to face her. Needless to say, Cindy was shocked, and so was everyone else around her. "Connie, what are you – " Lilo tried to say.

"Just what the hell were you thinking?!" said Connie furiously, grabbing Cindy by both shoulders. "What did Lilo ever do to you, huh kid?!"

Cindy had a hard time trying to say something; she was too stunned to say anything. "Um. Uh. Me…thought….since she Neuwoi…errrh…."

"Yeah, well I'll tell you this," said Connie, angrier now, "Lilo has done nothing but good for you. She didn't once fire back at you when you came at her so irrationally, which you know she was perfectly capable of doing. Not to mention that she helped save you and your friends from an early death. And this is how you're gonna thank her?! You have fucked up, kid. Fucked. Up. Get me? Huh?! Say something, dammit! Where's all that confidence you had earlier?!" At that point, she was in a complete rage.

Lilo tried to intercede and ease the building tension. But she calculated that she would be unsuccessful in her efforts, so she decided to keep quiet. Connie was not letting up one bit. She was shouting all manner of things at the increasingly-saddening Cindy.

"Ggh…guh…" Finally, Cindy reached her breaking point, burst into tears, and began to sob. "Me sowwy!" she shouted. "Me no know not aw Neuwoi bad!" She hovered there crying her eyes out. At this strong show of emotions, Pauline's eyes began to fill with tears as well.

Megan started getting angry, too. "Fucking get off her, fuck-case! She's fucking only 2-and-a-half fucking years old! What the fuck were you fucking doing when you were fucking 2-and-a-half fucking years old? I bet you were still running around in fucking shit-filled diapers! She has 11 fucking kills already! _11!_ How fucking old were you when _you_ got your first fucking kill?!"

Connie expanded the scope of her wrath to Megan. "And just _who are you_ to come at me like that, little missy?! Letting your friend loose on one of the people responsible for saving your sorry arse! I can't even be arsed to know why we even came here in the first place, you fucking wanker!"

"Who am I? Who am I? I am Captain Megan Wilson, the fucking commander of Alpha Flight of the 555th Joint Fighter Wing. I've been a witch since fucking 1943, asshole!"

"And I'm supposed be impressed, huh," said Connie, "Look at you, struttin' about like you're the cock of the walk. You ought to be knocked about your ears, you bloody nutter."

"You think you're any fucking better? What the hell kind of fucking language is that?"

Connie and Megan looked at each other with livid expressions on their faces, and the others could almost see the fire and electricity erupting between them. Meanwhile, Lilo was holding both Cindy and Pauline as they cried their eyes out from the strong surge of emotions. Cindy looked at Pauline and asked, "W-why you c-cwying?"

" _Ben…euh…._ I-I don't exactly kn-know why," stammered Pauline, "I-it's just that I o-often get all this emotional b-buildup, and then I j-just burst into t-tears."

Lilo was trying her best to comfort both of them, which was kind of a tall order for her, being a Neuroi and all; even though she has a personality now, emotions are still kind-of a foreign thing for her. Faced with a slightly unfamiliar situation, the researcher side of her began to kick in, and she fired up her sensors and processors to gather the new data. "Um, this might sound a bit of an awkward request, but could one of you tell me what exactly is happening?"

"Oh, leave 'em be, Lilo," said Rachel.

"Okay, yes ma'am," said Lilo.

By this time, Diana and the rest of the 555th JFW had flown down to the scene. "What the hell is going on?" said Diana.

"This fucking girl is being mean to Cindy," said Megan.

"Oh, I'm the jerk here," said Connie, "Yeah, let's all forget about the fact that your friend here attacked my squadron mate. Excuse me for not taking such an act lightly."

"Oh, you motherfucker," said Megan, "Why I oughtta – "

"Look, everyone, we all need to calm down and keep our heads," said Diana.

"It's fine now, Connie," said Rachel, "They've made up, now. So stand down."

"I don't think I'm gonna take any shite from someone a whole decade younger than me," said Connie.

"Come on, Connie," said Rachel, "Be the bigger person. You're setting a bad example to these kids."

After a few seconds, Connie relented and backed away. "Okay, fine. I'll back off."

"Good on you, Shamrock," said Rachel with a smile.

"Eerrrrggghhh…"

By now, Maia and Lion Team had arrived; they had launched a little while after Garuda and Falco, so they were behind them when they intercepted the Neuroi. Her voice came up on the comlink, "Hey, I'm here. What's the situation, Talisman?" It took her a moment to realize the smaller witches around Rachel. "Whoa! Hey, are those little kids down there?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda wondering the same thing, Mercury," Rachel said into her comlink, "Anyway, fly over to my position; there's some tension I need help easing."

"Sure thing, Talisman," said Maia, "Heading down to you now." Maia and Lion Team came down to where everybody had gathered. The F3F biplanes and F-35s were orbiting in a wide circle that encompassed both the _Calypso_ and the witches. Upon noticing that the smaller witches were in fact very young girls and not just really short witches, Maia exclaimed, " _Zut alors!_ They _are_ little kids!"

"What are you trying to say? That we're not good enough to be here?" Tonya asked annoyed.

" _Ce n'est pas ce que je voulais dire!"_ Maia exclaimed.

"Huh?" said Tonya, "Ma'am, I have no idea what you said."

"Dat wady say 'dat not wat she meant,'" said Cindy, who had calmed down by now and stopped crying.

"Oh," said Tonya.

" _Excusez moi s'il vous plait_ ," said Maia apologetically, "Britannian is a second language to me. Please understand that I am not mocking you in any way. I was just…surprised at your youth."

"Sorry for getting ticked at you so quickly."

"Ah, _ne vous en faites pas_. No worries," said Maia. She turned to Rachel. "So, Rachel, _apportez-moi au courant_."

"Eh-?" asked Rachel.

"Dis time, she say 'bwing me up to speed,'" said Cindy.

" _Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle,"_ said Maia, _"Es-tu galliaise?"_

" _Non,"_ said Cindy _, "Je suis de Fawawaywand."_

"Ah, I recognize the accent. _Captaine Maia Daigneau de l'aéronavale galliaise_." Maia offered her hand to Cindy.

Cindy shook Maia's hand and said, "Me Cohpowal Cindy Jabwonski. I'm fwum Alpha Fwight of dah 555th JFW."

"A pleasure to meet you, Corporal Jablonski. Now, _revenons á nos moutons_. Rachel, sitrep, please."

"Yes ma'am," said Rachel, "So, it's like I said earlier. Once all of the Neuroi threats were neutralized, one of the girls we saved made a go at Lilo. I guess Lilo convinced her that she was a friendly. Anyway, we couldn't hear much of this from where we were, so when we flew over, Connie started chewing out the girl for attacking Lilo, and then she got into an argument with another girl. By the time you got here, Connie decided to be the better example and let up."

"I see," said Maia, "Other than Connie, who are the girls responsible?"

Rachel gestured to Cindy and Megan. "Cindy is the one who went after Lilo, and Megan is one with whom Connie was arguing."

Maia looked over to the two perpetrators. "Is this true?" she asked them.

"Well, Connie was fucking saying mean fucking things to Cindy," said Megan, "And I wasn't gonna fucking have any of that. So I fucking stood up to her."

Cindy began to explain herself. "Wen me saw Wiwo at first, me taught dat she bad. See, Neuwoi kill my daddy, so me weally hate Neuwoi. But Wiwo told me dat she not bad, so me apologize to her. But Connie stawt say mean things to me, so me stawt cwying."

Maia reduced her altitude just enough so that she was eye-level with Cindy and Megan. "I can understand why Connie went after you two the way she did. Lilo is a very good friend of mine, and I would not want to be attacked and killed by the people I just worked so hard to protect. If anything, I should also be absolutely furious with you, but I'm willing to forgive you."

Connie flew in, sheepishly rubbing her neck. "Captain, listen. It was me who was out-of-line there. I may have been mad, but I shouldn't have yelled at you the way I did, especially to a superior officer." She gestured to Megan's captain's stripes. "I am truly sorry, Capt. Wilson and Cpl. Jablonski. Could you find it your hearts to forgive me?"

"Sure fucking thing, uhm, Shamrock," said Megan.

"Yeah me forgive you, Shamwock," said Cindy.

"Thank you," said Connie, "And Shamrock isn't my name. That's my tactical designator."

"What's a tactical designator?" asked Susie.

"Uh oh. Here we go again," said Megan.

"Is it like a nickname? Can you earn it? Is it just given to you? Do you gotta work for it? Oh, wait, I already asked that question. But I gotta know. How do you get one? It sounds like a really cool thing. We don't use those in the 555th. We just call ourselves by our first name. I think it's easier to just call us by our first names. They're easy to remember. That way, we don't have to memorize a butt-load of different names for each person. But that tactical designator stuff does sound really cool, though. Hey, Diana, maybe we could come up with some for us. What do you think?"

"Wait, who are you talking to now?" asked Connie.

"Don't worry too much about it," said Diana, "Anyway, I'm kind-of interested in those tactical designators you were talking about. Tell me about them."

"Oh ok," said Connie, "Well, Sgt. Garibaldi was right in a few respects. They are kinda like nicknames, but they're given in multiple different ways. An embarrassing first impression, the fact that you look like a telly or movie character, the fact that you have the same name as a telly or movie character, got some behavioral tick or physical trait unique only to you, and then bam, you've got yourself a tactical designator."

"Guys, look, I don't mean to be rude, but can we talk some more on the ship? I'm feeling real tired," said Tanisha. Her hover began to wobble; she looked about ready to fall out of the sky.

"Sure, Tanisha," said Diana, "So, uh, everyone, let's all go to this ship to talk some more. I've got a load of questions myself."

"I do like the idea," said Connie, "But that's not for me to decide. What do you think, Capt. Daigneau? Sound good?"

Maia checked the magic level meter app on her wrist-mounted flight computer; it was reading low. "Looks like I'm low on magic energy," she said, "How are the rest of you girls holding up?"

"Well, we've all been in the air for about three hours now," said Lucy, "A rest would be welcome."

"You know me, I could do this forever," said Lilo with a twirl, "But I'm down to land on the ship. It's a good opportunity to analyze the damages done by the time-jump incident." Everyone looked at her with stunned expressions. All asking the same question. _What do you mean time-jump?_ Lilo appeared to show concern. "Hey…can…you guys tell me the date?" she asked.

"Sure," said Diana, "The date is October 22nd, 1945."

" _C'est n'importe quoi,"_ said Maia, "It's October 22nd, 2015."

" _Ce que le baiser que tu racontes?"_ asked Megan, "2015 is fucking 70 years from now. Look at me. Do I look fucking 75 to you?"

"Guys, I'm really starting to feel light-headed now," said Tanisha, "Could we go back to the ship now, please?"

"Sure thing, Tanisha," said Diana, "Alright, 555th, let's head back to the _Calypso_."

Maia looked at her flight computer again; she was redlining. She got on the comlink again, "Falco Team, this is Lion 1. Do you copy?"

"Lion 1, Falco 1. Reading you loud and clear," said Falco's leader.

"Be advised, Garuda Flight and Lion Team are landing on the carrier to talk with the fellas on board. You guys head back to Buckingham. How copy?"

"Copy that. Heading back now." Falco Team's Lightnings peeled away from their orbit, formed up, and flew south back towards the task force.

Maia called up the _Queen Elizabeth_ to notify them of the changes. "Buckingham, this is Mercury. I've sent back Falco Team. The girls and I have been in the air past our safe fly-back limit, so we're going to remain with the carrier. Once Falco gets back to you, recommend that you change your course and head to my position. You're gonna wanna see what we've found here."

"Mercury, Buckingham. Roger that," the voice of the task force's admiral, Admiral Tennant, came up on the comlink, "Is this really so good that we should turn in the opposite direction we're supposed to be going? We're supposed to be on our way to the Red Sea by now."

"Trust me, Buckingham. This is one for the record books, I'm telling you. Plus, as the CAG of the air group, you'll have to pick me up, right?"

"Aw, ok, Mercury. We'll come to get you. Over and out." Admiral Tennant finished the transmission.

"Alrighty, Garuda Flight, Lion Team, Lilo, we're all landing on that small carrier. I guess it's called the _Calypso_. Anyway, be prepared to stay awhile; the task force is still a long ways down south."

"Roger," all the girls replied in unison.

"Okay, _allons-y_."

Maia and her group banked over and lined up with the stern end of the flight deck; the four biplane fighters had already landed, but she couldn't locate any of the girls from the 555th. She found them towards the bow, making an approach to land from that end, but there was a problem: they were too low, and looked like they were about to crash right into the bow of the ship. Little Cindy was going so fast, she was likely to be killed from the coming crash. Mon Dieu, _do they have like a death wish, or something,_ Maia thought to herself. Unbeknownst to her, the _Calypso_ had an opening in the hangar deck to allow the 555th to land and directly dock to their Striker cradles. Maia and the girls executed a well-practiced textbook landing onto the flight deck. Once they decelerated, Maia noticed there were only seven with her on the deck. "Wait, where's Lilo?" she asked.

"Up here," Lilo answered.

Everyone on the deck looked up and saw a black speck high up in the sky. The black speck rapidly grew in size until Lilo's form could just be seen diving in extremely fast; if one were to really focus, they would see that her flight units had reconverted back into her legs. "Lilo! What. Are. You. DOING?!" Maia shouted over her comlink.

"It's fine! Don't worry about it," said Lilo, "I did this once before."

"And how did that turn out?!"

"I nearly broke my core, and, uh, what's the word… _died_."

" _Oh, pour l'amour du ciel!"_

Lilo continued to fall, gathering more and more speed. And then, just before she plowed right through the deck, she somersaulted, somehow instantaneously decelerated, and touched down just softly enough for her feet to kiss the deck. "A-thank you, a-thank you," said Lilo, taking a dignified bow. Her audience stood shocked but nonetheless impressed; some slowly began to applaud her.

"That was stupid, reckless, and extremely dangerous," Maia reprimanded. Lilo hung her head. Maia's face warmed up with a smile. "But I'm impressed that you pulled it off, you big show-off. Just don't do it again. DO NOT. Scare me like that."

"Right. Sorry, Cap," said Lilo.

A very little girl walked up to Lilo and stared at her for a bit. She was very small, had curly red hair, and was a little on the chubby side. After a few seconds of curious staring, she smiled a cute smile and said, "Hi!" She held her hands up to her – the universal toddler sign for "pick me up."

Lilo looked at the little girl. "Why, hello there, little human girl," she said.

"Her name's Mary. She's my little cousin," said Wendy. She'd already docked and left her Striker; Diana left her in charge of the flight deck while she went down with Lion Team. "She wants you to pick her up."

"Oh." Lilo reached down and picked Mary up under her arms. She stood up and held her out with straight arms. "Like this?"

Mary began to giggle and squirm a bit. "Wheeeee!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"No, no, no. Not like that," said Wendy.

"What do you mean?" asked Lilo, "How do you want me to carry her?"

Connie, still in her Striker and equipment, stepped in to demonstrate. "May I demonstrate with you, uh, Capt. O'Brian?" She asked Wendy, looking at her name patch.

"Um, sure, 1st Lt. Lampert." Wendy read off Connie's name and rank from her name patch.

Connie slung her autocannon over her shoulder, picked up Wendy, and held her like a little kid would be held, using her arm to support her and keep her from falling off. "Like this, Lilo. See?"

"Oh, I get it." Lilo adjusted her hold, and was soon holding Mary the proper way. "Better, kid?"

Mary nodded with a smile.

"Now, where to?"

Mary pointed to a staircase leading down into the hangar deck. "Hanguh," she said.

"Sure thing, boss lady," said Lilo. She walked towards the stairs.

Connie looked at Wendy, whom she was still carrying. "Shall we head down to hangar deck as well?"

"Hold on, where's Tanisha?" asked Wendy, "I thought she wanted to land already."

"Couldn't make it down the forecastle," said a tired Tanisha over her radio, "Gonna try…to make….the stern…oouuhhh…" Her transmission cut out. She appeared on a shaky approach vector behind the _Calypso_. However, her flight pattern began to waver, and she soon lost control and careened right onto the flight deck. She didn't get up.

"Shit! Tanisha!" shouted Megan, who was also already out of her Striker. She ran over to her, kneeled next to her, and tried to shake her awake. "Tanisha? Tanisha?! Tanisha! Godammit, wake the fuck up! C'mon, don't fucking do this me!" Unsuccessful, she sulked over her friend and began to cry hot tears of angry sadness. "Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit. I told you….I fucking told you…but no….you just had to…."

Connie walked over, or did what could pass as walking, as she still had her Strikers and equipment, and Wendy was still in her arms. Lilo, who was just about to descend into the hangar deck, also ran over with Mary in her arms; noticing a friend in need, Mary began trying to squirm out of Lilo's hold, shouting, "I heal! I heal! I heal!" Lilo, gathering that the little girl might have healing magic, let Mary down. Immediately, Mary fused with her familiar and began applying healing magic to the unconscious Tanisha.

"Let me down," said Wendy, "I'm a healer witch, too."

"Okay," said Connie. Once she let Wendy down, Wendy fused with her familiar to apply healing magic as well.

Tanisha's eyes slowly fluttered open. She sat up and looked around for a second, trying to get a bead on her surroundings. "Did I make it back to the ship?" she asked no one in particular.

Megan stared at her in mute disbelief for a couple seconds, and then wrapped her in a tight embrace. "You fucking son of a bitch," she said in extreme relief, "I thought you were fucking dead. Don't you ever fucking do that to me ever again. When are you fucking going to stop this fucking bullshit with burning yourself out? How many fucking tears am I gonna have to fucking cry to get you to learn? I am fucking sick and tired of doing this over and over and fucking over again. I….I can't fucking lose you." She delivered that last line in a strained low tone.

Connie walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Megan's shoulder; she completely understood where she was coming from, especially since they came to blows over similar feelings. "Come on," she said, "let's get Cpl. Collins down to the med bay and let her rest awhile." She scooped up Tanisha, Striker and all, carried her bridal style, and walked over to the deck elevator; she still had everything on as well. Megan and Garuda Flight followed her.

Mary, her battle against death won, stood triumphantly and said, "I heal!" She turned to Lilo with a warm smile and held her hands up, asking her to pick her up once more. Lilo held Mary up with straight arms, did a twirl, and then carried her the proper way. Mary giggled the whole time.

"I think she's starting to like you," said Wendy.

"Think so?" said Lilo, "I'm starting to like her, too."

The three followed Garuda Flight, Megan, and Tanisha to the deck elevator. Once everyone was on, it descended down into the hangar deck where everyone else was.

As it settled down into the hangar bay, the Garuda girls saw the deck in a big mess. Crewmembers were going about trying to tidy things up as best as they could, but whatever happened before their arrival left nothing in place. Rachel looked around, saying, "Jesus. What happened in here?"

"We're still fucking trying to fucking figure that out ourselves," said Megan.

"So, Cpl. Collins, which one is your Striker cradle?" Connie asked Tanisha.

Tanisha pointed to a cradle that the crew had just righted; it had a pair of leg braces and crutches propped up next to it. "Right over there," she said tiredly.

"Right then, give your equipment to Chief Sgt. de Montgolfier," said Rachel, "1st Lt. Lampert will take you to the med bay."

"But what about my braces and crutches?"

"Braces and crutches?" asked Connie, "You need them?"

"'Course she fucking needs them," said Megan, "She can't fucking walk without them. Haven't you ever fucking heard of polio?"

"Yeah. As vaccine shots I got back when I was still a little girl. Europe's been polio-free for a while now."

"Vaccine? Polio-free? Shit, I don't know what fucking world you've been fucking living in," said Megan.

"Well, I definitely know what time I've been living in. Anyway, let's get going. All of this stuff I'm carrying is actually starting to feel heavy."

Tanisha shed her Striker and weapon, and Pauline grabbed them and carried them to Tanisha's cradle. "Could you please also grab my braces and crutches?" Tanisha asked.

"Sure, I'll get them," said Pauline.

"Alright, let's get you to the med bay already," said Connie.

Tanisha looked at Connie. "Shouldn't you take off your Strikers at least? They are pretty big. You probably won't be able to even get through the passageways with them on."

"You do have a point." Connie looked around. "So. Uh. Where can I dock?"

"We fucking got 12 extra fucking Striker cradles over there." Megan pointed to a row of empty Striker cradles. "But your friends fucking lined up their fucking Strikers over fucking there." She then pointed to where Maia and the rest of Lion Team lined up their Strikers and equipment. "My fucking guess is that their Strikers are too fucking big to fit on a fucking cradle."

"You might be right. We've got cradles that are larger and designed to accommodate our stuff," said Rachel, "We'll just line up our things with Capt. Daigneau's."

Rachel and Connie walked over to the wall where Lion Team stacked their things; Pauline had already done so, and was waiting there with Tanisha's crutches and leg-braces. Connie let Tanisha down, shed her Strikers and equipment, lined them up next to Rachel's things, and carried Tanisha again. "Alright, kid, let's finally get you to the med bay."

"Wait," protested Tanisha, "I gotta put my braces back on."

"Do not worry about it," said Pauline, "I'll bring them with to the med bay with you."

Pauline, Connie, Megan, and Tanisha walked out of the hangar deck and made their way down to the med bay; Tanisha had already fallen asleep in Connie's arms before they even made it to the room. Megan was still a bit shaken at the state of her subordinate. "How many fucking times is she gonna fucking do this burning out bullshit? I have seriously fucking lost count of the fucking times she fucking did this to herself."

"I'm sure she was only trying to do her best in the battle," said Rachel.

"Yeah, she's fucking brave and gave it all she's got. But I never fucking wanna have to write her fucking parents to tell them that their fucking daughter was killed in fucking combat. Would you wanna fucking do that for one of your fucking wingmen?"

"No, of course not. But I wouldn't wanna hold my girls back from performing to their fullest. I have complete faith in the talent and ability of my girls. I trust that they'll look out for themselves and each other." Rachel put an arm around Megan's shoulder, and continued, "Trust is the key in any relationship. Having a little faith in your friend may be a bit scary at first, but if you give it a try, you just might like the outcome."

"I've always promised to do whatever I fucking can to bring all my wingmen back alive," said Megan, "I don't fucking wanna have to see them fucking die or get shot down."

"I know, kid. I know. But I will never let that fear control me or hold me back," said Rachel.

After a bit of walking, they finally made it to the med bay. "Here's the med bay," said Megan as she opened the door. It was a pretty small room compared to anything Rachel, Connie, or Pauline were familiar with. There were six beds, four of which were already occupied by sleeping sailors.

"What's happened to them?" asked Rachel.

"Not entirely sure," said Megan, "But Wendy and Mary already fucking healed them. They just needed some fucking rest."

Connie picked one of the remaining empty beds and put Tanisha down. She tucked her under the blanket and made sure she was comfortable as she slept; Pauline propped her leg-braces and crutches against the bulkhead near the bed. Once that was all done, Rachel said, "Right then, shall we head back?"

"I'm gonna stay here until she fucking wakes up," said Megan.

"I think the best thing to do is to leave her be," said Rachel, "I'm sure she'll be okay. Besides, they probably still need help cleaning up the hangar."

"Okay," said Megan, "Let's fucking go, then."

Megan and Garuda Flight filed out of the med bay back to the hangar.

Meanwhile, back in the hangar deck, Maia, Lucy, Ana, and Antonia were helping the crew and 555th girls clean up the mess left by whatever calamity befell this ship. _Mon Dieu. From what I can see from this mess, it must've been quite a_ catastrophe, Maia thought to herself. _And now that I think about it, the flight deck did look quite singed. I'm impressed that this old clunker is still even afloat._

Her thoughts began to drift to her lost wing mates in the Mriya and Mother Bird aircraft. _Hm, I wonder if this time-jump thing that Lilo says happened to this ship happened to those girls, too. If that's the case…I might never get to see them again. To talk with them. To laugh with them. Nothing. Stefanie, Jasmine, the Anabuki twins, the von Wilkes, all of them might be lost forever in a foreign timeline_. As her thoughts began to spiral down to despair, she found it hard to continue working, and sat down against the bulkhead. Resting her head on her forearms, she fought back the oncoming rush of tears. Thinking that she was just tired, Diana walked over to her.

"Hey, Captain," she said, "all this work tiring you out already? You mean to tell me a little girl is working more than you?"

Maia didn't respond; instead, she clenched her fists, and began speaking softly. "Half of the 815th and half of the 413th, just gone. Why or how? _Va savoir pourquoi!_ I have no idea where they went, or _when_ they went. They've just. Vanished."

Diana dropped her lighthearted behavior and sat down next to Maia. "Hey," she said, "Is everything alright, Captain?" She placed a hand on Maia's shoulder.

"I was fresh out of officer training when I was assigned to command my unit," Maia began, "And already I've lost half of them. Guess I'm a fool for believing I could have an incident-free command, huh."

Diana thought quietly about what she could say to cheer Maia up; she decided to implore her about her unit. "You mentioned two squadrons," she began, "Which one's your command?"

"The 815th Joint Air Wing, officially nicknamed 'The Musician Witches' and unofficially nicknamed 'The Descendant Witches'. A lot of our members are descendants of well-known witches in history. We've got descendants from the Lucchini family, the Clostermann family, the Litvyak family, and a whole bunch more. We even have twins from the Anabuki family."

"I can see why they call you guys 'The Descendant Witches.' But why 'The Musician Witches?'"

"We can all sing and play musical instruments. In fact, one of the descendants, Lidiya Litvyak, has the ability to take control over the minds of all who hear her singing. Made us all fall asleep to a lullaby of hers the night she arrived."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, she was quite the witch. You would have loved to meet her."

* * *

While the rest of the witches were busy cleaning up the hangar deck, Lilo walked around the ship, taking record of all the damage done by the time-jump. Considering the type of equipment that was being utilized by the crew and the witches – the engine room was dominated by huge furnaces, with men shoveling large scoops of some black rocks they called "coal" – she was almost certain that that's what happened to this ship. "By my understanding of the human historical canon, all of this technology should have been replaced with things more efficient and advanced, right?"

She had to defend against would-be attacks from some of the crewmembers; like Cindy, it took a tremendous effort to convince them at first that she was an ally to them. She let out an electronic sigh. "Man, it really sucks being the only good-guy Neuroi," she lamented. However, she was able to interview some of the crew and some members of the 555th JFW regarding the moments before they were attacked. They all reported the same occurrences: some loud boom sound similar to an explosion, the ship lurching hard to one side, the ship starting to spin faster and faster, then the sky turning a bright purple, some really loud humming sound, their hair standing up on end, and everything getting real still and quiet all of a sudden. In terms of damage to the ship itself, it remained in generally good shape, with the only notable signs being the singed and darkened flight deck and the mess of everything that wasn't secured to the decks or bulkheads. There were four wounded sailors who were reported to be found lying outside with severe head pains and blood streaks down from their ears; Lilo surmised that this was the result of headaches and cerebral hemorrhage. "Jesus, this incident must've generated insane amounts of energy radiation. Let's hope that those four poor souls aren't irradiated or anything. That would be bad for every human on this vessel."

She had seen all she needed to. This was without a doubt a Neuroi-instigated time-jump. She remembered the device from her days as a Neuroi researcher. She was told that it was able to control time, and was to be used to help expedite travel throughout space. Unsurprisingly, in classic Neuroi fashion, these devices must have been applied as weapons. "I guess they figured that killing witches with lasers is just too hard, so they just throw them to another time and let them live to death."

She made her way back to the hangar deck, which by now had been restored to its original condition. She was impressed at how quickly the people have done so. "Wow," she said, "you guys work fast."

"Just the power of humans setting their minds to a common goal and working together," said Antonia, "So where've you been all this time?"

"Around the ship taking record of the ship's damage."

"And the verdict?" asked Antonia.

"Well, judging from the out-of-place tech, the unique damage, and the injuries of four of the crewmembers, this is, in fact, a time-jump. And the ship and all on board are the victims."

Lilo's statement was met with silent shocked stares. "What the fuck?" asked Megan.

"So you're saying that we jumped from 1945 to…?" Diana looked at Maia to finish the sentence.

"….2015," Maia completed the sentence. "Somehow, you and the ship instantly aged 70 years."

"Precisely," said Lilo. She felt a tap on her leg. It was Cindy.

"Time-jump? Wat dat mean?" she asked.

"It means that you've somehow jumped through time; in your case, forward. You're, like, 73 years old right now."

"Wat?!" Cindy exclaimed, "Me not owd wady! You take dat back, or me 'ting you!"

"How could I take back something that is true? By the rules of temporal progression, you have aged very much," said Lilo, "Though, judging by your physical and behavioral characteristics, you aren't yet an 'owd wady.'"

Cindy rubbed her temples. "Ay! Me confuzzled."

"Don't worry too much about it," said Lilo, "Just know that you are not supposed to be when you're supposed to be, and we've gotta find a way to get you back."

Everyone else quietly processed Lilo's comments, wondering whether or not to believe them. After a while, Diana broke the silence and asked, "So if we've time-jumped forward from the year 1945 to 2015, what's gonna happen to us? Are we gonna be taken, examined, and interrogated? Will people think we're crazy and lock us away in some insane asylum?"

"I'm sure that you will be at least questioned," said Maia, "But I'm positive you won't be locked away in an asylum. Your ship and equipment is proof enough that you are time travelers."

"I must ask, if you're from 1945, how come you've coal-fired engines?" asked Anastasia, "I thought oil-powered engines were already a thing by then."

"Well, the _Calypso_ is actually quite old," said Diana, "The hull was launched back in 1894. About 50 years later, it collided with a bridge, and was heavily damaged. When she was put on the market for scrap, the Conch Republic bought it, and refitted it to its current state."

"Oh, I see," said Anastasia, "Aw, it's a shame I didn't bring my camera."

"Why's that?" asked Diana.

"I love urban archaeology, and this ship reminds me of strolling through Pripyat or the Chernobyl site."

"What?" said Tonya.

"Aw, now that is cold," said Lucy, "You're comparing this ship to an abandoned city and deadly catastrophe?"

"What?!" said Tonya again.

"Ehhhhhh…Sorry," Anastasia bowed her head in apology.

Suddenly, an alarm began to echo throughout the hangar bay. It sounded like nothing anyone save the girls of Garuda Flight and Lion Team had ever heard before, and sent the others into a frenzied panic. Maia knew exactly what the alarm meant, and reached into her right uniform pocket to get her smartphone. She was getting a call from Nina, the acting CO of the group while she's gone; she hit the answer icon and brought the phone to her ear. The alarm sound stopped, replaced by tense silence. "Hello? Nina? Hey. Yeah, we're safe," said Maia. The 555th girls and _Calypso_ crew stopped and stared at her in disbelief.

Maia continued speaking. "Yeah, the girls and I will be staying here on the ship we found. It's called the _CRNS Calypso_ , and it's from the Conch Republic. Yes. Garuda Flight, Lion Team, and Lilo. Only for tonight. We'll be fine. What about you? Okay. Cool. Yeah, we should be rendezvousing with you guys by tomorrow."

The others continued staring, and the girls from Maia's group tried hard to stifle their jeering laughs. "What?" said Antonia, "You guys have never seen someone talk on a phone before? Surely, you can't be _that_ ancient?"

"Wait, that's a fucking phone?!" said Megan.

"No kidding? That notepad-sized thing Capt. Daigneau got on her ear?" said Tonya.

"Yep, that's a phone, alright," said Antonia.

"Ah, me even mowe confuzzled," said Cindy.

Maia continued her conversation. "Do the rest of the girls know? Cool, that's good. Alright. Talk to you later. _Au revoir._ " Once done, she hung up and put the phone back in her uniform pocket. It was then that she noticed the odd stares that Diana and the others were giving her. "What? What happened? Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just that we were wondering how that thing you were just using could be a phone," said Diana, "I mean, it's got no wires, no number dial, no speaker-part-thingy, not even an antenna. How are even able to communicate with that thing?"

Maia began to explain in the simplest way she could how cellular phones and smartphones work. Her audiences came from a time when computers were the size of an entire room with half the processing power, and wireless phones were just beginning to arrive as big clunky devices used by the ground forces. Needless to say, the others found it extremely hard to believe.

Susie was especially curious. "Whoa, so if it's a smartphone, does that mean it knows just about everything? Could it do math? Or find something on a map? Tracie has an ability like that. She can take one glance at a map and fly anywhere on it without losing her way. Me, I can detect and transmit through radio waves using my magic. While I can't easily find my way around a place after looking at a map, I can pick up and detect things using my magic. It's actually kinda cool. I wonder if a smartphone can do those things."

"They can do all that, and talk, too."

"I don't tink me can get anymowe confuzzled," Cindy said slowly with a shake of her head.

"Look, a lot has happened since 1945. I think the best way to deal with this sudden change in culture is to just not ask questions and accept it for what it is. It'll save you guys a lot of headaches, and confuzzlement," said Maia.

"We'll take your advice on that. I think I speak for everyone when I say I've had enough 'confuzzlement' for one day," said Diana, "Anyway, it's about dinnertime. I hope you like fish."

* * *

1800 Hours, October 22, 2015

International Waters about 551km North of Task Force 119, North Sea

That night, the girls of Garuda Flight and Lion Team joined the 555th members and the _Calypso_ 's captain, Capt. Reynolds, for dinner of fried fish they'd caught and stored in the ship's refrigerator. The galley staff really knew how to whip up a good fish; everyone loved it. The girls took time to get to know everyone on the 555th JFW, and they swapped their own backstories, as well. Pauline's story struck a deeper chord with Cindy and the Morris siblings. Pauline discovered her power when she accidentally burned and almost killed her friend; she was sent alone to a training facility to train to be a witch, and when she returned to her hometown, she witnessed its destruction at the hands of a stray Neuroi. She still suffers from PTSD because of the attack.

Lilo also took the time to finally explain how she came to side with humans. "I was charged with the task of experimenting on and brainwashing of witches we captured. The ones we experimented on would be cut open and extracted of all fluids, which wasn't conducive to the extended survival of the subject. The ones we brainwashed would be sent back out to the world to subtly gather information for us or be used as sleeper agents.

"During one such operation, the subject reached out and touched me. She then used mental manipulation magic to transmit her thoughts to me, possibly in an effort to prevent me from completing the brainwashing. At that instant, I experienced something few Neuroi experienced before: emotions. I felt her fear, despair, hatred, anger, everything. It hit me so hard and so suddenly that I could not continue the procedure. After this, I gained a personality and wished for no more atrocities to be done to the humans, but no other Neuroi shared my views.

"After a while, the other Neuroi deemed me defective, and slated me for 'forceful deactivation', or the Neuroi's version of a human firing squad. Before my execution, I escaped and fled from my hive, and the Neuroi tracked me down and attacked me. Some witches flew over to assist me, possibly on account of the fact that I look like a witch. Boy, you should've seen the look on their faces when they flew in closer. I have no idea how they didn't shoot me down on the spot. Anyway, I offered to tell the humans everything I knew about the Neuroi, and now, here I am."

"Jesus," said Megan, "That's quite the fucking story."

"I must ask, Capt. Wilson, why do you talk like that?" asked Lucy.

"Like what?"

"You curse almost every other word."

"I grew up around fucking lumberjacks."

"Oh."

After dinner, the question came up as to how and where the older witches were to sleep. Turns out, the _Calypso_ had 18 extra bunks, more than enough for the seven older witches. Lilo didn't need to sleep, and so spent the entire night roaming around the ship to explore and gather data. It put the crew on edge, as they thought she was secretly gathering intel for the Neuroi, but she swore up and down to them that she was not working for the Neuroi anymore.

After the younger 555 girls finished getting ready for bed, the older girls did what they could to clean themselves up before they went to sleep; coming directly from combat, they had no toiletries or even an extra set of clothes to change into. All they could manage was to rinse off a little in the sink. Once everyone was situated in their bunks, Diana said goodnight and switched off the light. All the girls drifted off to the sound of Maia softly singing _Dodo, l'enfant, do,_ a Gallian lullaby.

 _Do, do, l'enfant do,_

 _l'enfant dormira bien vite,_

 _do, do, l'enfant do,_

 _l'enfant dormira bientôt._

 **[End of Chapter 5]**

 _D'aw! That ending was beautiful….hold up! This chapter had nothing to do with the last chapter! Godammit, Leche Flandre! Why did you keep leaving me hanging like that?! GAH! I guess….I'll just get the references done and start working on the next chapter's headers and footers._

 _Again, the title is another line from Tori Kelly's "Celestial"._

 _The lullaby that Maia sang at the very end is a traditional French/Gallian lullaby called "Dodo, l'enfant, do"._

 _The 555_ _th_ _and its constituent characters belong to the author Motown Scrapper. He's a cool cat, like always. Check him out, if you ever feel so inclined._

 _The characters Rachel Denny and Michelle "Connie" Lampert belong to GeneralAshton. None of us haven't heard from him in a while, but he's got some interesting stories. I think you all should check him out, too._

 _Pauline-Josephine de Montgolfier belongs to NCWriting. He was a humongous help in getting the 413_ _th_ _JTFS together. A big thanks and shout-out to you, my good friend._

 _Lilo, again, is based off of another character by BookMarkAHead._


	6. Chapter 6: Swallowed by Light Part III

_Heheeey, everybody! I'm back with another header and footer for ya! I think this is the last one until Leche Flandre finally gets back to doing them again. Plus, now I've got a lot of stuff to do. Things are getting real busy on my end. Anyway, let's start._

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced….

"What do you mean they're gone?!"

"They sent out SAR flights to their last-known position. For all intents and purposes, ma'am, they're gone."

"Is everyone okay?"

"What the fuck just fucking happened?"

"Guys, I'm picking up a HUGE number of Neuroi coming at us real fast! And I mean fast!"

"Come on, you Neuroi fuckers! Get this fucking over with!"

"I am Assault-Class Witchtype Neuroi X-626. Also known as Lilo."

"You weally d-diffewent fwom odder Neuwoi….why?"

"When I worked for the Neuroi, I developed views that went against their ways. So they slated me for 'forceful deactivation', and tried to kill me. But I escaped and joined the humans."

"Buckingham, this is Mercury…You're gonna wanna see what we've found here."

"Well, judging from the out-of-place tech, the unique damage, and the injuries of four of the crewmembers, this is, in fact, a time-jump. And the ship and all on board are the victims."

"Ay! Me confuzzled."

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Celestial, Part III: Swallowed by Light**

2200 Hours, October 21, 1945

Somewhere Over Karlsland

The autumn night sky stretched peacefully out around Sanya and Eila. Eila's fortune-telling incident had been bugging her and everyone else back at St. Trond for a while, and they all had been put on higher alert; however, after almost three months without an incident, she finally felt up to going back in the air to patrol with Sanya. It looked like tonight wasn't going to be any different from all the other nights they'd been on patrol, and plus it was nice to finally enjoy some time with Sanya. It definitely beats tossing and turning alone in her bed. She began to push out the unpleasant memory of that day out of her mind. "Maybe it was just a hoax, or something," Eila thought aloud.

"What was that?" asked Sanya.

"Oh, nothing," said Eila.

"Hm, okay."

Suddenly, night turned to purple day as the sky erupted with a bright violet light that nearly blinded the two witches. At the same time, a low loud electronic roar resounded from seemingly everywhere all at once. The air seemed to crackle with energy. It was most definitely an assault on all the senses. Then, as quickly as it happened, it stopped. The purple day had returned to night. However, strange aurora-like lights danced throughout the sky.

The girls opened their eyes and removed their hands from their ears. Sanya's glowing magic antennae were fading in and out, turning lots of different shapes and colors, and static emitted from their earpieces. They looked around, dazed. Gradually, everything began to swim back into focus, and Minna's voice could be heard, muffled by the slowly-clearing static, coming through their earpieces. "….nya…..la…you…..right? Hello? Can….me…this is Wing…ilcke….anyone?"

"Minna, is that you?" said Sanya, "I can hear you. You're coming in a bit muffled, but I can hear you."

"Is that you, Sanya?" asked Minna.

"Yes, it's me. Eila and I just saw something really weird."

"Are you talking about the sky turning purple? It happened here, too."

"Any idea what that's all about, Minna?" asked Eila, "Think it could be Neuroi?"

"I can't say for certain, but keep a sharp eye out."

"Roger," Sanya and Eila answered in unison. By now, the strange aurorae had faded out.

With her magic antennae now working properly, Sanya began scanning the skies for possible incoming threats. It was then that she began to pick up some mysterious radio transmissions. "Oka Nieba in the blind. Do you copy? This is Snow Goose 2-7. Be advised, we seem to have been hit with some sort of energy burst. Comms and radar are down. We are flying blind. Say again, we are flying blind. Do you copy? Over." They seemed to be addressed to someone known as "Oka Nieba", which meant "Sky Eye" in her language. The transmission repeated itself, addressed to other mysterious entities it regarded as "Ghost Eye", "Thunderhead", and even "Sky Eye" in Britannian. The transmissions were being spoken in an Orussian accent, but the speech pattern was unusual.

"Listen to this, Eila," said Sanya as she used her magic to transmit the messages to Eila's earpiece. "It's coming from the direction of Polaris on Ursa Major's tail."

Eila listened intently to the mysterious Orussian radio transmissions, but she didn't know what to make of them. It was obvious that these were being transmitted from a plane somewhere, but what it was and why it's transmitting, she couldn't tell. That feeling of uncertainty that had hit her three months ago began to creep over her again. "Minna, are you getting this?"

"Yes, Sanya is broadcasting them to me. This is really baffling. Go see if you can track the source. Report back anything you find."

"Yes, ma'am." Sanya and Eila flew off in a northerly heading to find the source of the mysterious radio messages.

* * *

2230 Hours, October 21, 1940

Somewhere over Suomus

F/L Ahonen, the leader of the 1st Squadron of the Suomus Air Force, and her wingman flew through the night sky; to the north, Aurora Borealis could just be seen dancing amongst the stars. It's been about 30 minutes since the sky turned bright purple, leading to them having to scramble out of Kauhava Air Base, leading to where they were now. Such a job was way below her and the witches of 1st Squadron, but since the 507th was out on liberty, Squadron Leader Häkkinen had no choice but to send her and her squadron out. The rest of 1st Squadron was patrolling in pairs in other directions around the airspace. Her wingman gave a little yawn. "Tired, Kaia?" asked F/L Ahonen.

Kaia gave a little nod. "Yes, ma'am, Sister. It's practically the middle of the night. But I'm glad I got paired with you."

"Ohohohoho!" F/L Ahonen laughed her characteristic laugh, "The others must be so jealous right now, ufufu." The pair tiredly continued patrolling their assigned airspace.

30 minutes later, there was still no sign of any Neuroi, and F/L Ahonen and Kaia were getting really sleepy, but they still had another hour or so until their emergency patrol ends. They kept flying.

15 minutes later, they finally saw something interesting. It came in the form of some huge flying machine that seemed to be perpetually roaring an unearthly guttural roar. And unearthly could only mean one thing: Neuroi. "Ready your weapon, Kaia," ordered F/L Ahonen, "We might see some action yet."

Despite the beast's size, it was quite fast; they were doing all they could to fly up to it, and yet they were still struggling. Finally, they'd gotten within firing range, and within range of the "Neuroi's" weapons. However, the beast didn't fire anything back at them. They elected to hold fire and try to catch up to it. Once they finally caught up to it, they noticed Liberian roundels on the sides of the body and left wing, the letters "USAF" on the other wing, and a Liberian flag on the T-shaped tail. One thing's for certain: whatever craft this was, it was friendly. They put their machine guns back on safety. "What is a Liberian aircraft doing here in Suomus? When did they get this sort of machine? And shouldn't the acronym read 'USAAC' instead of 'USAF'?" Kaia seemed to be asking the questions that F/L Ahonen was asking herself in her mind.

"Kaia, you're asking questions I don't have answers to," she said, "At any rate, try and hail them by radio. I will report our finding to Squadron Leader Häkkinen."

While F/L Ahonen contacted the Squadron Leader, Kaia began attempting to contact the Liberian airplane. "Unidentified Liberian aircraft. This is P/O Kaia Laaksonen of the Suomus Air Force. Can you hear me?" Kaia repeated the message about five more times, receiving no reply. "They're not responding, Sister."

"Perhaps we should try to communicate via Morse code. Do you have a flashlight?"

"Yes, ma'am. Right here." Kaia produced a Karlsland-made signal flashlight and handed it to F/L Ahonen.

F/L Ahonen sped up to the front and began flashing the light like a semaphore.

* * *

2300 Hours, October(?) ?, ? (15 minutes earlier)

Somewhere over Suomus

Despite the chaotic incident that had happened an hour earlier, the pilot and copilot saw that the damage to the Mother Bird was at a minimum; it still looked like they were in flyable condition. To add to that, despite the flat spin they were stuck in during said incident, they were surprised to see that the compass still had them on their original heading due north. Since it seemed like nothing much had happened during the chaos, they continued their present course to head to their patrol area.

After about 15 minutes, the copilot noticed a flashing light outside his right window, along with the nav lights of a pair of Striker Units. "Captain, it looks like there are a couple of witches trying to get our attention," he said.

"What are they trying to say?" asked the Captain.

The copilot deciphered the Morse code message. "'Attention, unidentified USAAC aircraft. This is F/L Mika Ahonen of Suomus Air Force. You are in Suomi airspace. Alter course and follow me to Kauhava Air Base.'"

The pilot and copilot looked at each other with a look of "WTF?", but they decide to comply. "Tell them we comply, 1st Lt. Johnson," the pilot said to the copilot.

"Okay, Capt. Hendrix" said Johnson. He asks for a flashlight, and the navigator produces a 21-LED flashlight. Taking the light, Johnson flashed their response to the witches outside. 'Roger that, F/L Ahonen. Cannot communicate via comms. Comms and radar out of commission.'

F/L Ahonen flashed back her response. 'Understood. Please decrease speed so we can keep up.'

"Cap, it looks like they want us to slow down some so they can keep pace," said Johnson, "How do you suggest I respond?"

"Huh, I'd have thought that Hornets would be able to easily keep pace with us," said Hendrix, "Probably would be best to slow down for them though. Let 'em know, and tell them our callsign." Hendrix began to lower the throttle.

"Okay," said Johnson. He flashed another message. 'Roger, decreasing speed. Be advised, callsign is Pelican.'

'Understood, Pelican. Thanks. Now, follow me.'

* * *

2205 Hours, October 21, 1945

Somewhere Over Karlsland

It didn't take long for Sanya and Eila to locate the source of the radio transmissions: a huge swept-winged aircraft with Orussian Air Force roundels. It appeared in good working order, save for the considerable charring on the nose and front of the unusual fuselage. It seemed to have six huge jet engines on the wings, three on each side. Also, the tail was shaped almost like that of a whale's. This, plus the size and shape of the plane gave it a very whale-like look. Using her magic, Sanya made contact. "Hello? Hello? Orussian mystery plane? Can you hear me in there?"

The plane answers back, "Hello! Hello. We hear you loud and clear. Thank God you came when you did. This is Snow Goose 2-7. We cannot seem to contact any AWACS planes or ATC stations. Could you transmit our location to someone for us?"

 _What could possibly happen to the plane that would keep it from being able to contact others,_ Sanya wondered to herself, _and what's an awax? Or an ayteesee? Anyway,_ "Sure. I will contact St. Trond Air Base and let them know about you."

Sanya contacted Minna, "Minna. We've found the source of the radio transmissions. It's an Orussian aircraft. I think. It's got Orussian roundels, at the very least. They called themselves 'Snow Goose 2-7'. They said they're unable to communicate with anyone. There's a lot of charring on the front of the aircraft."

"Hmm. I think the best course of action to take is to bring the plane back to us. I'd like to see for myself this plane you are describing. Escort Snow Goose 2-7 back to St. Trond."

"Yes, ma'am." Sanya turned her attention back to Snow Goose 2-7. "Okay, Snow Goose 2-7. I have been ordered to escort you back to St. Trond. Follow me."

"Sorry, can't. We've already got orders to patrol this airspace for three weeks before heading to the Middle East to join TF119. By the way, who gave you that order?"

 _What? Three weeks? Middle East? TF119? Just who exactly are these people?_ Questions began to swim through Sanya's mind, but she decided to keep them to herself and answer Snow Goose 2-7's question. "Um, Wing Commander Wilcke."

Snow Goose 2-7 must've thought her answer was really funny somehow, because he started to laugh. "I'm sorry, _Wing Commander Wilcke?_ She couldn't possibly give that order. Because _Oberst von Wilcke_ is aboard this very plane!"

Sanya and Eila shared a look, both silently asking each other and no one in particular the same shocked question, "Wait, what?!" It was almost as if their souls ascended into some other plane of existence and shouted this question at each other. Before they could scream any further, this plane of existence's Sanya detected 3 mid-sized Neuroi with her magic antennae. Sanya's and Eila's souls returned to their owners' bodies, and Sanya called in the Neuroi contacts.

Sanya informed both Minna and Snow Goose 2-7. "Minna, Snow Goose 2-7, three Neuroi detected from the East."

Minna responded first. "Okay. Can you and Eila hold them off until reinforcements arrive?"

"We will do what we can," said Sanya.

Snow Goose 2-7 radioed in, too. "It's a good thing you found us, or we wouldn't have seen the Neuroi until it was too late. We'll launch witches to assist." Sanya and Eila shared that "Wait, what?!" look again, sans the ascendance to the other plane.

They began to notice openings forming in the nose and rear of the plane, and the forms of four witches launched out of the nose opening with a roar much louder than Snow Goose 2-7's jets engines. Another "Wait, what?!" look. These four witches had jet Strikers! Two of these Strikers had unusual forward-swept wings, one had large triangular wings with smaller ones in front, and one had short wings of a shape Sanya or Eila could only describe as odd. These four jet witches formed up next to them. Both they and the pair expressed equal degrees of surprise upon encounter. For some reason, the jet witches looked oddly familiar.

The red-haired witch with the triangular-winged Striker took charge. "Ahem, let's save the intros for later. For now, just know that I am Wolf 1. She's Wolf 2, and they're Firebird 3 and Firebird 4." She pointed to herself and the other three in her company as she said this. She looked just like Minna, just with shorter hair.

"Now, what are we waiting for?" said the girl known as Firebird 4. She looked just like Sanya, just with yellow eyes, longer hair, and an air of confidence. "Let's go get us some Neuroi. Point us in the right direction, Ms. um…."

"Sanya. And this is Eila." Firebird 4 seemed to project a feeling of trustworthiness, so Sanya had no problem with sharing her and Eila's names.

"Okay, Ms. Sanya. Lead the way," said Wolf 1. She and Wolf 2 grabbed her hands. "Considering the slower Strikers you two are equipping, we'll have to carry you with us."

Firebird 3 and Firebird 4 grabbed Eila's hands. While Eila was a bit jealous that she didn't get to hold Sanya's hand, she got to hold hands with the Sanya-lookalike along with what seemed to be her own lookalike, so it's okay, she guesses. With that, the jet witches accelerated in the direction that Sanya indicated. Neither Sanya nor Eila could believe the speeds at which they were going. They could leave Shirley in the dust! Maybe even the Me-262 Strikers Ursula was developing.

In no time at all, the Neuroi targets were in view. Wolf 1 said something about "picking up the bogeys on radar" and for the other three to "go for missile lock." Whatever that meant, the three others said, "Roger!" and they lowered some sort of small glass held by an arm attached to their big headsets. After that, they made no further move to attack. Sanya and Eila shared yet another "Wait, what?!" look, shrugged, and flew in to engage the Neuroi.

* * *

2215 Hours, October(?) ?, ?

Somewhere over Karlsland

As the sounds of her missiles' tracking systems beeped and growled in her headset, Anna noticed that Sanya and Eila had already bolted out and were heading for the Neuroi. They didn't seem to have IFF transponders in their Strikers, so the missiles locked on to them. Little did they know that in going after their targets, they became targets themselves!

"Hey! Get out of the way!" shouted Katya.

Feeling that it would be too risky for missile salvoes, Anna called off the attack. " _Scheiße!_ Disarm the missiles and arm your guns. We're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way."

She, Katya, Lidiya, and DJ armed their autocannons; she grabbed her Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon, and Katya grabbed her GSh-6-23 Gatling, which had an RPM of 10,000, the highest of any autocannon. Lidiya had a GSh-30-1 single-barreled autocannon, and DJ had an M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannon, a gift from Liberion. With their guns cocked and ready to fire, the four witches fed power into their etherjet engines and sped in behind Sanya and Lidiya.

* * *

2220 Hours, October 21, 1945

Somewhere over Karlsland

For the past five minutes, Sanya and Eila had been working away at one of the three Neuroi. Sanya fired salvoes of rockets from her big Fliegerhammer, while Eila used her Foresight to predict movements, dodge beams, and direct their shots. When the Neuroi fired beams at them, she'd help Sanya dodge. Finally, they scored the first kill.

They heard the roar of the jet witches flying into the fray. _Well, about time,_ Eila thought. However, the machine guns they were using were unlike anything Sanya and Eila had ever seen, but they were too busy battling Neuroi for another "Wait, what?!" look; for one thing, they were quite large, and instead of the "ratatatatat" of normal machine guns, theirs made a loud hum, almost like a car motor. Huge rounds peppered a second Neuroi, causing massive amounts of damage and quickly exposing the core. Firebird 4, the Sanya-looking girl with the ponytail, delivered the coup de grâce. All in no time at all.

Now it was time for a "Wait, what?!" look, which caused Sanya and Eila to neglect to notice the last Neuroi powering up two beams at them. Before Eila could realize the incoming threats and dodge, Wolf 1 and Wolf 2 thundered in and put up their shields, blocking the beams. But these shields were not normal shields. For instead of simply blocking and dispersing the beams, their shields were _deflecting_ them like a mirror!

"One red hot miasma beam presented by the Motherland coming riiiiight up!" shouted Wolf 2 as they focused the reflected beams on the last Neuroi. It disintegrated with a scream.

Another "Wait, what?!" look was in order for Sanya and Eila.

* * *

2225 Hours, October(?) ?, ?

Somewhere over Karlsland

As the last Neuroi's screams echoed across Karlsland, Anna congratulated the others on a job well-done. "Good work, you guys!" she said with a thumbs-up.

"Only the power of great teamwork," said Katya.

"Well, what do you expect?" said Lidiya, "We are family, after all."

"And totally awesome," said DJ.

High-fives all around. "Now," said Anna, "Let's properly introduce ourselves to our new friends." They flew over to Sanya and Eila, and she began the introductions. "Hello, I am _Oberst_ Anna Dietlinde Litvyak von Wilcke of the _Bundeswehr Luftwaffe,_ and the CO of the 413th Joint Tactical Fighter Squadron."

Katya was next. "Hi, my name is Yekaterina Viernya Litvyak von Wilcke, but you can call me Katya. I'm a _Podpolkovnik,_ or Lieutenant Colonel, in the Orussian Aerospace Forces. I'm the 413th's XO."

DJ went next. "I'm _Luutnantti_ Dorotea Juttilainen of the Suomus Air Force. Call me DJ. Nice to meetcha."

Lidiya finally brought up the rear. "Hey! I'm _Leytenánt_ Lidiya Eila Litvyak of the Orussian Aerospace Forces. DJ and I are from the 815th Joint Air Wing."

"It is nice to meet you all," said Sanya, "But I must say that I have never heard of your units before."

"Well, we're relatively new units," said Anna, "The 815th had just gotten its final members not three months ago."

"Oh, I see," said Sanya, "Ah, where are my manners? We've forgotten to introduce ourselves. I'm Flying Officer Sanya V. Litvyak of the Orussian Imperial Army's air corps. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Flying Officer Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen of the Suomus Air Force," said Eila, "We're from the 501st Joint Fighter Wing. Nice to meet you."

"501st Joint Fighter Wing?" asked Anna, "As in _the unit that was instrumental in liberating Gallia, defeating a Super Hive, and beating back the mass attack of '45?_ That 501st?"

"Uhm….yes…?" said Sanya.

"And you're a part of that unit?" asked Katya.

"Yeah, that's what I said," said Eila.

"Duuuuuude! You guys are lucky!" exclaimed DJ, "I've heard stories from my great-grandma about her time in that unit. She always used to boast about how she only needed to use a shield just once in her entire career. It's kinda funny how you have….exactly….the…same…names… Holy Mary, Mother of Christ!"

"What? What is it?" asked everyone else in unison.

"Hey, Eila, what's the date?" asked DJ out of the blue.

"Why?" asked Eila, baffled.

"Just bear with me here. What's the date?"

"Uh, it's the 21st of October, 1945."

"Okay, now look at the date on my flight computer." DJ flew up next to Eila, and showed her wrist-mounted flight computer to her.

Eila looked at the small display screen with a confused look. "Just what kind of watch is this?"

"I'll tell you later. Read the date."

Eila sighed. "Alright. '21 October 2015'….wait, what?! 2015?!"

"No, that can't be right," said Sanya, "That would be 70 years from now."

"Exactly!" DJ said excitedly.

"What are you talking about, DJ?" asked Anna.

"Think about it. The disparity in technology, the difference in tactics. There haven't Neuroi like that in decades." DJ held out her hands as if to prove a point.

"Wait, you don't mean…."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Ooooooh yeah!"

"Bullshit!" said Katya.

"No, I'm serious."

The other witches stared at DJ in shocked silence, trying to logically process what she was hinting at. Lidiya was the first to start to warm up to the idea. "Well….as the good detective Sherlock Holmes once said, 'when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'"

"So, you're saying…." Sanya didn't exactly know how she could finish that sentence.

"Ok, keep an open mind about this now. Ready?" DJ suddenly got serious. "Ladies, I believe that we have just somehow time-traveled."

"…Oh my…." said Sanya.

"Perhaps it would be best to talk further on the plane," said Anna. Katya, DJ, and Lidiya agreed.

"Wait, you can land on that thing, too?" asked Eila.

"Yes, ma'am," said Katya. "Let's go."

* * *

2230 Hours, October 21, 1945

Inside Snow Goose 2-7

Despite Sanya's and Eila's apprehensions about attempting to land inside the plane dubbed "Snow Goose 2-7", landing turned out to be a simple matter. Anna had already radioed ahead to inform them of the situation. Taking the setup that they had used to get to the Neuroi so quickly, everyone lined up behind the huge plane in two groups of three. Sanya and Eila were each grouped with a pair of the jet witches, and they landed in this manner.

Once they'd gotten aboard, the four jet witches docked, defused with their familiars, and exited their Strikers. Unfortunately, these future cradles were not compatible with Sanya's and Eila's Strikers, so they lined their equipment along the wall. The deck crewmen were nice enough to secure their things with straps and buckles to ensure that they didn't fall or get damaged. After thanking the men, Sanya and Eila followed Anna, Katya, DJ, and Lidiya up a spiral staircase. Once at the top, they found themselves inside a fancy-looking lounge; well, it would've looked fancy if it wasn't as if a blizzard hadn't come in and wrecked the place.

Fortunately, a large number of girls were cleaning up the place as best they could. Most of them looked like the spitting images of their friends back in the 501st. Eila even saw one who looked like her best friend Nipa, but unlike her, this girl was not wearing a Suomi uniform. The Nipa-lookalike walked up to her carrying a stack of books.

"Well hey, DJ, yer back," she said in a Liberian drawl, "Whiles y'all were showin' the Neuroi what for, we're o'er here tidyin' up. Here, make yerself useful." She handed Eila the books she was holding.

"Oh, uh…I'm not DJ," said Eila, surprised by the sudden weight in her arms.

"'Course yer DJ," said the Nipa-lookalike, "That er yer one o' her clones."

"Clones?"

"Aw, c'mon, don't play dumb with me."

"Kathleen, I'm right here!" said DJ; she looked partially angry and amused at the spectacle unfolding in front of her.

"Shore y' are, DJ," said Kathleen, "And yer right here, too. Ah know a clone when ah see one. Anyway, get those books back to the shelf."

Sanya tapped Kathleen on the shoulder. "Uhm, that's really not DJ."

Kathleen turned to her. "Who're you?"

"I'm Sanya V. Litvyak," said Sanya.

Kathleen looked at her for a moment, then at Lidiya, then at Anna, then at Katya, then back to Sanya, then back at Lidiya again. She placed a hand on her chin, resting her elbow on the other hand.

"We'll explain later," said Anna, "Just know that that's not DJ. Her real name's Eila Juutilainen."

Kathleen seemed ready to object, but she decided against it and turned to Eila. "Alrighty, Eila or DJ or whoever ye are. Follow me; I'll show you where these need to go."

Eila followed Kathleen to the bookshelf, which was next to the area where a large number of musical instruments were stored.

Anna stuck a couple fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle, which startled Sanya. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them. "Ladies, good work in cleaning the plane as much as you all did. However, whatever happened to us 30 minutes ago is a little more complicated than what we've initially thought. I'll elaborate more once we finish tidying up the lounge. Okay, let's get to it."

"Yes, ma'am," all the girls responded in unison. They returned to their work at faster pace, curious as to what Anna was going to explain to them. Sanya joined Eila and Kathleen at the bookshelf, organizing and putting back books that have scattered on the floor. The entire time, Kathleen was trying to test Eila to see whether or not she really wasn't one of DJ's "clones". As it turned out, she wasn't.

"Why do you think that Eila is a clone?" asked Sanya as she placed some books onto the shelf.

"Oh, see, DJ's got cloning magic. She can make copies o' herself," said Kathleen, "It's real useful fer fightin' Neuroi and pullin' pranks. It's just sumtimes, I lose track o' who's real and who's a clone. Ah'm real sorry."

"I forgive you," said Eila, "By the way, you look a lot like a friend of mine in the Suomus Air Force."

"Well, I am Suomi-Liberian. Who is she?"

"Nikka Katajainen."

"Shoot, I know 'er! That's mah great-grandmother. How do you guys know 'er?"

"Uh…it's…kinda complicated," said Eila.

"Shoot."

"Wha-?"

"Shoot. Tell me."

Eila sighed. She definitely couldn't understand what she was about to explain, either. "Well… It appears that you have all traveled back from your year to ours, 1945."

"Wait, you mean we've time-traveled?"

"Yes."

Kathleen scratched her head. It seemed like she didn't want to believe it at first. But she began to light up with excitement. "Wow! So, it's like _Back to the Future_ , or something like that!"

"Wha-?" said Sanya in bafflement.

"No, I think you've been sent to the past," said Eila.

"Ah know," said Kathleen, "Ah was talkin' about the movie, _Back to the Future_. The main character, Marty McFly, gets sent back in time in a time-machine. Came out in the 80s, and if wut yer tellin' me is true, that would mean about 15-20 years later."

"That sounds like an interesting movie," said Sanya.

"Yeah? If y' want, we can see 'bout watchin' it later when we're done. Whaddaya say?" said Kathleen.

"I'd like that," said Sanya.

"Alrighty then, it's a date."

Eila jumped a little upon hearing that word. _Date? With Sanya?_ Her thoughts began to drift off into space.

Myah Lucchini had finally finished putting all the eating utensils and cups back in their cabinets, and was looking for something else to do. She noticed Kathleen at the bookshelf talking and working with the two newcomers that Anna, Katya, DJ, and Lidiya had brought with them. Finding nothing else to do, she began to head over to them. _Newcomers, huh,_ she thought in her head _, guess it's time for my "examination"._

The Orussian-looking girl was closest, and what's more her back was turned to Myah, so she was naturally the first on her list. Myah weaved her arms around the girl and seized her hands onto her chest. The poor girl gave a yelp of surprise and began to turn a deep red. Myah noticed the other girl turning a deep red, too, but it was more a deep red of deep anger.

It was at this moment that Myah knew. She fucked up. "UGYAAAAAAA!"

* * *

0000 Hours, October 22, 1940

Approaching Kauhava Air Base, Suomus

F/L Ahonen, Kaia, and Pelican had been flying for about 45 minutes to an hour. F/L Ahonen had already radioed back to Squadron Leader Häkkinen about the situation, so Pelican was safe from being fired upon accidentally. It was a weird callsign, Pelican. Those great big sea birds with the pouch for a mouth. She'd only seen pictures, but they looked silly nonetheless. She laughed a little.

Finally, they were approaching Kauhava's runway. She and Kaia elected to land first, and Pelican assumed an orbit around the base to wait for them. _Landing that beast might be a little hard, considering that their radio and radar is down,_ F/L Ahonen thought to herself. Thankfully, once she and Kaia had landed, they ran into Häkkinen, who had brought a powerful large semaphore with her. They flashed an all-clear message to Pelican, giving them the permission to land.

The great beast of the air lined up on the runway, touching down on what looked to F/L Ahonen and her company like tank treads without their treads. It began to roar and scream even louder than it had before as numerous flaps began to extend out to try and slow the big plane down. But still it rolled and rolled, approaching the dreaded other end and the snow bank just beyond. F/L Ahonen didn't think they'd make it, and she held her breath in suspense. Pelican was slowing down by the time it got to the other end of the runway, but its nose wheels just slipped off the edge and into the dirt, and the nose was kissing the snow bank. F/L Ahonen let out the breath she was holding, and drove a jeep over to the plane, followed by Kaia and Häkkinen.

That gargantuan beast known as Pelican was even bigger up close and on the ground. None of them had ever seen anything of its size or shape. The loud roaring engines powered down, first to a moan that lowered in pitch and then off altogether; however, somehow there was still a loud rushing sound coming from the plane. Then, the back of the plane opened down to make a ramp inside. Some men in one-piece flight suits and various other implements that F/L Ahonen and her company were unfamiliar with walk out and look around. They finally noticed her and her company and waved them over.

Once F/L Ahonen, Kaia, and Häkkinen got closer, the men noticed the rank insignia and snapped salutes, which the ladies returned. One of the men addressed F/L Ahonen. "Ma'am, would you happen to be Flight Lieutenant Mika Ahonen?" he asked her.

"Why, yes, that's me," she said.

"I'm Captain Jimmy Hendrix, and this is 1st Lieutenant Jack Johnson," said the man, gesturing to himself and the man next to him, "We were the pilots of the Mother Bird here. We just wanna thank you on the behalf of ourselves and all on-board for finding us when you did. Probably would've gotten lost forever were it not for you and your partner."

"Ohohohoho! You are most welcome," said F/L Ahonen as she shook Capt. Hendrix's hand. Everyone else exchanged handshakes with one another, as well.

"Well," began Häkkinen, "Capt. Hendrix, 1st Lt. Johnson, if you'll please head with me back to my office, I'd like to ask you both a few questions. I'll send some ground crew to help your men secure the aircraft. F/L Ahonen, P/O Laaksonen, I'll need your flight report after you're finished here."

"Yes, ma'am," said F/L Ahonen and Kaia.

Häkkinen nodded and gestured for Capt. Hendrix and 1st Lt. Johnson to follow her back to the jeep to go to the main building. Another man walked out of the ramp and up to the two girls. He extended his hand and introduced himself. "2nd Lieutenant Steven Tyler. I'm the flight deck officer. Thanks again for saving our hides."

"You are most welcome," said F/L Ahonen, "Flight Lieutenant Mika Ahonen." She shook 2nd Lt. Tyler's hand.

"Pilot Officer Kaia Laaksonen," said Kaia, also shaking the 2nd Lt.'s hand.

"Nice to meet you both. Anyway, come on in. Finally got the coffee pot fixed up and working upstairs."

The two girls walked slowly up the ramp. It was if they were stepping onto some other world; inside was a large open space lit from the ceiling by rows of small-but-very-bright lights. Lined up to their left were large strange-looking Striker Units in larger and stranger cradles; all of these Strikers donned roundels from various countries, and F/L Ahonen thought she could spot the Suomus Air Force roundel on one of them. On their right was an impressive assortment of weapons ranging from huge finned rockets, to a number of unusually-shaped guns, to huge multi-barreled cannon-looking weapons, all hanging on wheeled racks and sorted by size. The floor at their feet was painted to look like that of a runway, and in between some of the weapons racks, two spiral staircases rose up to an upper deck.

"That is an impressive spread of firepower," said Kaia in astonishment.

"Yeah, I'm always impressed at what these witches can carry," said 2nd Lt. Tyler.

"Wait, these are all witch weapons?" said F/L Ahonen, uncharacteristically shocked.

"Yep. This is a witch carrier after all."

"Witch carrier? Like an aircraft carrier?"

"Similar concept."

"How long has Liberion had this kind of thing?"

"About 20-some-odd years."

Before F/L Ahonen could continue asking questions, several girls started descending from the spiral staircase towards the rear. Judging by the design of their uniforms and their age, she guessed that they were witches, and a good number of them looked oddly familiar. Two of the witches were carrying another girl who seemed to be out cold. Tied around her head was bandage that seemed to glow blue with magic energy. One of the girls carrying her looked almost exactly like Haruka, just with longer hair tied back in a ponytail; on her head was a navy blue baseball cap with the words "815th JAW, The Musician Witches" along with a Gallian Horn over a map of the world over a compass rose. Noticing F/L Ahonen, the Haruka-lookalike asked, "Do you know where this base's medical wing is?"

Another difference of this girl from Haruka is this girl's mature serious demeanor. F/L Ahonen couldn't believe what she was seeing. A no-nonsense Haruka? Impossible. She smirked a mischievous perverted smile, and was about to say something of the same sentiments. But before she could, the girl spoke up again, this time with a more demanding tone.

"Hey now! I gotta know where the medical wing is stat. My friend here has suffered severe trauma to the head, and needs somewhere to rest. So, I'm gonna ask again. Where. Is. The. Hospital?"

Seeing as how this girl really meant business, F/L Ahonen dropped her smirk and her attitude, and said, "Of course. Wait here. I'll get you a vehicle. Kaia, stay here with them."

Kaia nodded, and F/L Ahonen ran out of the plane to find a spare vehicle. Luckily, that team of ground crew that Häkkinen sent over finally arrived. She told them that she needed their truck and told the driver to drive them back to the hangar. Then, she ran back into the plane and said, "Hey, I have a truck. Follow me."

The Haruka-lookalike, her Tomoko-lookalike partner, F/L Ahonen and Kaia carried the unconscious girl onto the back of the truck, and F/L Ahonen got into the passenger seat. Kaia, the Haruka-lookalike and the Tomoko-lookalike stayed in the back. Getting the truck out of park and into gear, the driver drove back to the hangar. On the drive, F/L Ahonen could hear Kaia talking with the two witches from the plane.

Once they made it to the hangar, F/L Ahonen quickly thanked the driver, got out, and helped get the unconscious girl out of the back. "Follow me. This way to the hospital wing," she said.

"Hold up," said the Tomoko-lookalike, "I'm gonna ask the driver if he could bring the rest of us back here."

F/L Ahonen nodded, and waited a bit. Once the Tomoko-lookalike came back, the truck drove off back to the plane.

Now that that was taken care of, F/L Ahonen led the girls out of the hangar, down a few corridors, and finally into the hospital wing. It was clear and quiet, unsurprising for this time; no Neuroi had crossed the border into Suomus, so the place often remained largely unused. She pointed out a room, and the others placed the unconscious girl on the bed and covered her with the blanket.

"Okay, let's just leave to rest up for now," said the Haruka-lookalike.

"Sounds good," said the Tomoko-lookalike.

As they exited the room, they ran into the other witches from the big plane; they all were carrying large packs. A dark-skinned Liberian girl walked up to the Haruka-lookalike and said, "How is she?"

"Stefanie should be fine," said the Haruka-lookalike, "That magic-infused bandage should keep for a while. She just needs some rest for now."

"Ah, that's good, then," said the dark-skinned girl, "Here's youse guys' packs." She handed the Tomoko-lookalike and the Haruka-lookalike their packs.

"Thanks. So, what do we do now, Jasmine?" the Tomoko-lookalike asked the dark-skinned girl.

"Well, shit, Anko. You're the same rank as Stefanie, which means you outrank me. That makes you acting-CO."

"Hmm," the Tomoko-lookalike rubbed her chin, "We've had quite a night. I think the best thing to do right now is to get some rest. What do you think, Major?"

"Sounds like a plan, Lieutenant Colonel. I'll stay here with Stefanie." She then turned to F/L Ahonen. "Got any place the others can crash for the night?"

"Crash? Ohohohohoho!" said F/L Ahonen, "Why, I believe you'd nearly done that on the runway."

The dark-skinned girl stuck her face in her palm, shaking her head seemingly in disappointment. "No, dammit, I mean a place to sleep!"

F/L Ahonen suddenly felt angry. "Excuse me? Is that how you speak to a superior officer?"

"Look, ma'am, all due respect, but we've all had a really long day and an even crazier night. I'm just real tired. Could you just show them where they can get some rest, please?"

Kaia stepped forward to intercede. "Well, since the 507th Joint Fighter Wing is away on liberty right now, their rooms should be available for tonight."

F/L Ahonen let go of her anger and directed the others to the 507th's rooms. Once there, the Tomoko-lookalike paired the other witches and directed them to share rooms. Once everyone had a room and a partner, they each said goodnight and closed their doors. The Tomoko-lookalike turned to F/L Ahonen and Kaia. "Hey, thanks you guys for helping us out with all this."

"It was certainly my pleasure," said F/L Ahonen proudly; she'd been getting thanked quite a lot in the past couple of hours, and it felt wonderful. "Though I must say that you have to do something about your dark-skinned friend."

"Jasmine? Ah, don't mind her too much. She's from New York, so she can be a bit rough around the edges."

"Uh-huh."

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced, yet." The Tomoko-lookalike offered her hand, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Anabuki Anko of the FASDF."

F/L Ahonen took her hand. "Flight Lieutenant Mika Ahonen of the Suomus Air Force. What does FASDF stand for?"

"'Fuso Air Self Defense Force.' I assumed you'd be aware of that, considering that you're a military witch."

"I have heard of the Fuso Imperial Army. I know a witch from there. Another Anabuki, in fact."

"Huh. That's strange. The air branch broke off from the army branch during the reorganization back in 1954." Anko let out a yawn. "Anyway, I'm very tired from the events of tonight, so I'm going to hit the rack now. Goodnight, Flt. Lt. Ahonen. Goodnight, Pilot Officer Laaksonen."

With that, Anko closed the door to Tomoko's room. She didn't seem at all concerned that the Haruka-lookalike was sharing said room with her. F/L Ahonen turned around and said, "What a strange group of witches. At any rate, we must give our report to Squadron Leader Häkkinen. Come on, Kaia."

As they made their way to Häkkinen's office, F/L Ahonen noticed that Kaia appeared concerned about something. "My pretty little sister, what seems to be troubling you?"

"I'm really confused over all that's happened in the past hour is all," said Kaia.

"I feel the same way. What did those two Fuso witches tell you when you were talking with them on the truck ride here?"

"They only introduced themselves. That girl with Lt. Col. Anabuki is a healer witch from the FMSDF named Lieutenant Commander Sakomizu Kaminari. Also, Lieutenant Colonel Anabuki and some of other witches from this group looked like they could be related to the witches from the 507th. My theory is that they could in fact be related to them."

"Well, Lt. Col. Anabuki and Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu do share surnames with a couple of our friends in that squadron. So what else could be bothering you?"

"Sister, think about it. The strange Strikers, the strange weapons, the strange big plane, the fact that such an aircraft has existed for 20 years without our knowledge, the way those witches dressed and spoke, FMSDF, FASDF, _1954_. It all points to the same conclusion."

"Which is?"

"I don't think that that plane or the people in it are from…here…..as in, not from this time."

F/L Ahonen stopped in her tracks in shock. She began to laugh. "Ohohohohoho! That definitely sounds as farfetched a theory as I've ever heard. Although, not entirely impossible. We'll have to ask them about that." She suddenly dropped her lighthearted behavior, and took on a more serious tone in her next sentence. "But if what you are saying is true, then things are about to get very different for us very quickly."

 **[End of Chapter 6]**

 _Done! So, yeah, I suppose that this is the last header and footer I've gotta do. So let's get these references and stuff out of the way. Also, I believe this is the last of the chapters with "Celestial" lines for titles, so I'm gonna go ahead and omit that one here, 'cuz ya know, it's been said already twice before that this song was referenced. So yeah…anyway, let's get these other references done._

 _The callsigns "Oka Nieba", "Sky Eye", "Ghost Eye", and "Thunderhead" all belong to the Ace Combat game franchise. Evidently, the author really loves these games. And frankly, I have to agree with him. Not simply because I'm a character of his, but because they're actually pretty awesome._

 _You know what? I think that's it for the references in this one. Oh, also, if anyone is unfamiliar with characters like F/L Ahonen and her 1_ _st_ _Squadron of the Suomus Air Force, read up on the Suomus Misfits Squadron. They're stories about this squadron of witches based out of Suomus, and Ahonen is a prominent character in them, even though she's not a part of that squadron. Anyway, probably shoulda put this note in the first chapter…meh. Read up on these stories, too, because that squadron of witches are gonna be making a bigger appearance in the coming chapters!_

 _Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hop in my X-Wing and destroy a fleet of Dalek ships that are attacking the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) while it's in orbit above the planet Deviluke. Toodles!_


	7. Chapter 7: Shoot to Thrill

_YO! I'm back everyone! It's been a LONG time, I know. That's why I made this one especially long and epic. It's long, yes, but epic, that's for you to decide. Oh, keep an eye out for [Musical Accompaniment] Notifications. I wanted to add to the mood, and give you guys something to listen to while the story unfolds. Anyway, you've come here to read something, and that's what you're doing right now. But this is not what you came here to read. You came here to read what's below this jibber jabber! So, what are you waiting for? Read on, my dear….er…reader._

* * *

Previously, on Strike Witches: Displaced…

"We seem to have been hit with some sort of energy burst. Comms and radar are down. We are flying blind. Say again, we are flying blind. Do you copy? Over."

"Listen to this, Eila. It's coming from the direction of Polaris on Ursa Major's tail."

"What is a Liberian aircraft doing here in Suomus?"

"You're asking questions I don't have answers to."

"'Attention, unidentified USAAC aircraft. This is F/L Mika Ahonen of Suomus Air Force. You are in Suomi airspace. Alter course and follow me to Kauhava Air Base.'"

"Ahem, let's save the intros for later. For now, just know that I am Wolf 1. She's Wolf 2, and they're Firebird 3 and Firebird 4."

" _Scheiße!_ Disarm the missiles and arm your guns. We're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way."

"One red hot miasma beam presented by the Motherland coming riiiiight up!"

"Ladies, I believe that we have just somehow time-traveled."

"Wow! So, it's like _Back to the Future_ , or something like that!"

"My friend here has suffered severe trauma to the head, and needs somewhere to rest. Where. Is. The. Hospital?"

"Well, shit, Anko. You're the same rank as Stefanie, which means you outrank me. That makes you acting-CO."

"Think about it. The strange Strikers, the strange weapons, the strange big plane, the fact that such an aircraft has existed for 20 years without our knowledge, the way those witches dressed and spoke, FMSDF, FASDF, _1954_. It all points to the same conclusion…I don't think that that plane or the people in it are from…here…..as in, not from this time."

"Ohohohohoho! That definitely sounds as farfetched a theory as I've ever heard…But if what you are saying is true, then things are about to get very different for us very quickly."

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Shoot to Thrill**

0700 Hours, October 22, 1945

An air base in New Karlsland

The Southern Spring sun rose over an eventful morning scene. Like busy worker ants, numerous men scurried about getting the big C-74 Globemaster ready for its long trip across the Atlantic. Fuel lines hung from her wings, filling her tanks with precious gas. Various trucks drove back and forth from the hangar to the plane, and the men offloaded their contents onto a platform beneath it. From there, two cranes from inside the Globemaster's cargo hold hoisted the platform up, where men moved the cargo into the hold, and then the platform was brought back down to take the next load.

The C-74 Globemaster was truly a pretty great feat of Liberian engineering. Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company as a long-range heavy lifter that could fly vast distances, she was an impressive 124 feet in length, had a 173-foot wingspan, and stood tall at nearly 44 feet. Standing over the C-47 Skytrains, C-46 Commandos, Go.244s, and Ar 232 Tausendfusslers lined up on the tarmac, she was truly the queen of the airfield. The Me 109s, Ta 152s, and Fi 156 Storchs also parked on the tarmac looked like toys in comparison to her.

The loading was now complete, and the platform, which was actually a removable section of the Globemaster's underbelly, was brought up one last time and secured. The loadmaster ran through the cargo roster, checking that all was loaded and accounted for. Arms and ammunition was first on the list. He walked down the line, perusing the line of weapons crates. Inside them, brand-new rifles, machine guns, 50-cals, 20mm cannons, 30mm cannons, and even a 50mm cannon lay fresh off the factory lines, ready for their future witch owners. With guns and ammo accounted for, he checked off the first item on the list.

"Is everything all good here, Sgt. Gearing?" asked a voice behind him. Sergeant Gearing turned around to see a young girl, likely in her mid-teens, standing there. She had blonde hair cut short, a pair of glasses, and a Karlsland Luftwaffe uniform underneath a lab coat. The uniform left her legs bare, denoting her as a witch. "My team and the rest of the aircrew have already boarded," she continued, "and we are ready to take off as soon as you're finished documenting."

"Almost done, Flying Officer Hartmann," said Sgt. Gearing, "I've got the arms and ammunition taken down, and was 'bout to check the new hardware."

"Splendid. Mind if I join you?"

"Of course. These are your pride and joys, aren't they?" Sgt. Gearing walked with Ursula Hartmann over to the new Strikers packed towards the middle and draped with cloths.

"Well, not all of these are developed by Karlslander companies, but considering their engine types, I suppose you could say that I am proud of the work put into all of them." Ursula removed the cloths, revealing the sleek forms of 10 etherjet Strikers from Fuso, Liberion, and the Karlsland factories here and New Karlsland: the Nagashima A9N1 Kitsuka, Tsukushi J7W2 Shinden-Kai, the three versions of the Yokosuka A2Y2 Keiun-Kai, the Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star, the Republic P-84B Thunderjet, the Messerscharf Me 262, the Heinkel He 162, and the Heinkel He 280. She also took the time to look over her own personal He 162. There were even a few crates full of parts for a Nakajima A9N1 Kitsuka, a jet version of the Nagashima Striker. That was for Mio, who if Ursula could recall, recently lost her magic.

As Ursula checked the Strikers, Sgt. Gearing checked off the items on his list. The Strikers were listed under "Miscellaneous Hardware". Satisfied, both he and Ursula put the blankets back over the "Miscellaneous Hardware" and walked over to the passenger cabin.

"Remember, Sergeant," Ursula said, "Officially, these aren't some the world's newest etherjet Strikers. They aren't being flown to Europe to be used by the 501st. And this is only a routine supply run to deliver arms and ammunition to the Allied forces in Europe. Got it?"

"Roger dodger, ma'am," said Sgt. Gearing, saluting casually.

"You sure?" Ursula questioned, "This is really classified. We can't let anyone know that we've got state-of-the-art hardware in here. Especially if the Neuroi have tapped into our communications."

"You're being awfully protective of these things."

"I must be. Most of these Strikers aren't even in the production phases yet, much less entered service. The Neuroi only know about the Me 262, He 162, and the MXY-7 Ohka, and I want to keep it that way."

"Okay. I get it. My lips are sealed."

"Okay," said Ursula.

As they made their way to the passenger cabin, Sgt. Gearing asked, "Are all you Karlslanders like this? So uptight and by-the-book?"

Ursula's expression softened up with a smile. "Well, I can definitely speak for most of us when I say yes," she said, "But, as with anything, there are always exceptions to the rule. My sister, for one, is a great example."

"Really? Flying Officer Erica Hartmann? The top ace in the world? Bullshit."

"I'm serious. She may be the greatest ace of all time, and my sister, but she actually can be quite a handful. You'll see when you meet her."

"Ten bucks says you're bullshitting me. There's no way an ace like her would be carefree in the slightest."

"I'll take you up on that." Ursula and Sgt. Gearing shook hands.

Sgt. Gearing went to go clear the roster, and Ursula took her seat next to Darla Evans of the Upper Peninsula Aero Striker Research Center and some other Karlslander scientists.

"Hey, thanks for taking me along," said Darla, "I needed something to do after you told me that the Calypso disappeared."

"My pleasure," said Ursula, "It's the least I could do after being the bearer of your bad news. Plus, I need your help in maintenance and data collection."

"I'm excited to be working on this new Str-I mean hardware. I gotta work on this whole 'Classified' thing. I wonder if the UPASRC can utilize this kind of technology, too."

"I am willing to provide whatever assistance I can to help you, if you want."

"Really? Won't your country's government be against that? Not a lotta people take us very seriously."

"I think science is meant to be shared and that no one entity should lay claim to a breakthrough."

"And that's the reason why I admire you so much."

Ursula smiled. "I'm flattered."

The big engines started up, and the Globemaster began to taxi out to the runway. They waited as a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor accelerated down the runway for an ASW patrol. As they waited, Ursula thought she could see two figures watching them from the other side of the fence around the base. Ursula leaned closer to the window, trying to get a closer look at the distant figures. Why was she getting the feeling that one of them looked oddly familiar?

Before she could have her answer, the Globemaster began moving again. It lined up on the runway, and finally began accelerating. As they moved faster and faster, the mysterious figures disappeared in a fuzzy flash of white, like a grainy photograph. Ursula squinted in frustration, sat back, and relaxed for the coming long journey ahead. First, they would head to Britannia to pick up more arms, ammunition, and "Miscellaneous Hardware", before finally making their way to St. Trond, the 501st, and her sister.

She smiled, closing her eyes to catch some shut-eye. The last thought that crossed her mind before she nodded off was, _I wonder if Frederica and her friends are there already…_

* * *

Around the same time…

Somewhere over Karlsland

Anna watched the witches filing into the briefing room from her spot in the front. Since it was pretty early in the morning, everyone, save for Sanya and Eila, was in their pajamas. Once everyone sat down, she cleared her throat and began speaking.

"Alright, girls, we've got a little situation on our hands. Major Knueppel and Flying Officer Litvyak have been serving as our interim radars until the crew can get the plane's radar back online, and they've detected numerous Neuroi on a heading towards us from the South. They seem to be coming at us at a pretty fast rate, but I believe that a team of stealth and high-speed witches should be able to defeat them easily."

Normally, a projector screen would display a map and the locations of both Snow Goose 2-7 and the bogeys; but their time-jump fried most of their electronics, so Anna had to make do with the archaic method of verbally giving directions. She never felt so awkward in her life; she had nothing to point to, nothing to give as reference. Nevertheless, she continued.

"Now, here are the orders. Jr. Adm. Miyafuji, Lt. Col. Nakamura, and Cdr. Bishop will be the main flight; your jobs will be to intercept and engage the Neuroi force. Maj. Yeager and Sr. Lt. Voychek will fly top cover, intercepting and engaging any high flyers. Capt. 1st Rank Sakamoto and Maj. Katajainen will provide ESM and ECM, respectively, with Lt. Lucchini and Lt. Clostermann flying as their escort. Firebird Team will be on ready reserve; have your equipment on and be ready to launch at a moment's notice. Finally, Wolf Flight will be put on reserve; prepare your equipment, but do not prepare for launch yet. Flying Officer Litvyak, Major Knueppel, you two remain here, and keep scanning for more bogeys. Anyone I didn't call will remain on standby. Got all that?"

"Yes, ma'am," everyone said.

"Good," said Anna, "I will remain here for C&C. Operational command will be given to Jr. Adm. Miyafuji. Now, get out there and do us proud."

The witches stood, saluted and began to file out of the briefing room, until only Eila was left. "What do you need, Eila?" asked Anna.

"I'm just wondering what I should do, um….ma'am," said Eila.

"Don't worry too much about formalities now. I'm off the clock. Just call me Anna."

"Okay, Anna. Well, I think I should be out there with the others to fight the Neuroi. I may not be as fast as you guys with your fancy jet Strikers, but I'm very capable, and I've never been hit once. The only time I had to use my shield was to protect…someone very close to me." Eila took pause with that last phrase.

"Oh, I know about your abilities. We fought together last night, remember? Anyway, I wanted you to stay here because I've got some questions to ask. Come with me." Anna gestured Eila toward her, and they walked out.

* * *

Around the same time…

St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

The base was uncharacteristically abuzz with activity at this early hour. Sirens blared, personnel scrambled, and equipment was being moved around. Amidst this organized chaos, the 501st JFW was preparing to scramble out to intercept the Neuroi they just detected. Once they were prepped and ready to go, they took off and headed north. The situation seemed so desperate that Minna and even Mio joined them in the sky today.

Tension and fear hung over the girls. Sanya and Eila haven't return from their patrol, nor have they contacted them since last night. Everyone tried to remain optimistic and hope for their return. Maybe they'll be back at the base once they finish off the Neuroi, and they can laugh it all off over some breakfast. But doubt cast a shadow over this, and Minna began to fear the worst.

With serious stoic expressions, they continued on towards the coming battle.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back in Snow Goose 2-7

[Musical Accompaniment: "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins]

The An-225's hangar bay was also abuzz with activity, though with a more eager and excited mood. Once the witches had finished putting on their uniforms and grabbing their headsets, they made their way down the spiral staircase, where their Strikers and weapons were loaded and ready to go. The main sortie's Strikers were already lined up near the catapults. Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" played out over the bay's loudspeakers.

Those who were to sortie out put on their equipment, ran through their checks, and climbed into their Strikers. Fusing with their familiars, their magic engines started up with a low hum rising in pitch. Once their engines were up to speed, they detached from their cradles and lined up in pairs behind the catapults. The deck officer signaled for the catapults to power up. As the first pair hooked up, magic circles appeared beneath them. The deck officer signaled for them to throttle up; once they were at full power, he scanned the deck to make sure all deckhands were clear. Everyone showed a thumbs-up. He returned the thumbs-up. With a swing of his arm, the deck officer gave the order to launch. The first witches rocketed out of the Mriya and into the wild blue yonder, and the catapults were prepped for the next pair. This process repeated itself over and over, until all nine witches were in the air.

Once the main sortie was out, the deckhands began moving Firebird Team's Strikers closer to the catapults. The Firebirds put on their equipment and sat on their cradles to await the call to launch. Wolf Flight's Strikers and equipment were also moved next to Firebird's, but they didn't need to don their equipment yet. Activity died down for a while, and the deckhands moved to the rear to prepare for their landing.

* * *

0725 Hours, Same day

Somewhere North of Snow Goose 2-7

"This is Shinden, Mad Hatter 1. All witches report." Ayumi patiently waited for the coming messages.

"Warwolf, Mad Hatter 2, standing by," said Azalea.

"Deacon, Mad Hatter 3, standing by," said Gracie.

 _That's Mad Hatter Team_ , Ayumi thought to herself. They flew at an altitude of 20,000 feet, scanning the skies around them for their objective targets.

"This is your friendly neighborhood electronic support witch, Mamushi, Party Hat 1, standing by. ESM signals are going strong." That was Miki.

"Nightingale, Party Hat 2, standing by. Got my medkit, and ready to provide aid where needed." That was Addy.

"Jester, Party Hat 3, standin' by. Got the countermeasures goin', an' them Neurois won' be seein' us anytime soon. I can tell ya' dat fer a fact, jack." Sometimes, Kathleen's accent is a little hard to understand.

"Speedy, Party Hat 4, standing by and ready for action!" Myah was extremely excited to finally do battle with the Neuroi. This is what they signed up for, after all.

That was everyone from Party Hat Team. They also flew at 20,000 feet, but stayed a little behind the Mad Hatters.

"Phoenix, Top Hat 1, flying high and standing by!" said Carly.

"Foxhound, Top Hat 2, reporting," said Eliza.

Carly and Eliza flew top cover at 65,000 feet. They're job was to handle any Neuroi high-flyers and keep the coming dogfight contained by taking down the stragglers. That was everyone. _Alright, that's everyone_ , Ayumi happily thought to herself.

"This is gonna be a real turkey shoot with these old geezer Neuroi we're gonna be fighting!" said Myah excitedly.

"We will blow them away with our vast technological advantage and ingenuity," said Eliza.

"Ain't nobody can catch me up here!" said Carly, "I mean, they don't call me 'Comet' for nothing."

"Keep it together, everyone," said Ayumi, "We don't want to get too overconfident."

"Yes," concurred Gracie, "'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'"

"Aw, okay," said Myah, "I'll calm down only a little. I'm just really excited that we finally get to see some real action together, you know?"

"So am I," said Ayumi, "But I also want to make sure that we all get back home together. So that means rational thinking and cool heads, okay?"

"You got it, boss lady," said Miki.

A little while later, Ayumi picked up the targets on her radar. But something wasn't right. The readings were familiar. Very familiar. "Hold up, are you guys getting this?" Ayumi asked.

"Yeah," said Azalea, "Something isn't right."

"Why the fuck am I picking up Arion readings in 1945?" asked Gracie.

"I wonder if they got sucked up in that time-jump with us," said Miki.

"I'm sure they would have attacked us right then, if that were the case," said Addy.

"I'd say that you should try getting a visual," said Mariela, "They might just be old Neuroi that act like Arions."

"Good idea, Mariela," said Ayumi, "Mad Hatters, let's get a closer look." The three of them fed power into their Strikers, and they sped up towards the odd readings. Soon, they could see the targets. There were numerous neat formations of tiny delta-shaped Neuroi fighters. Which could only mean one thing. "I have eyes on the Neuroi," said Ayumi, stunned, "They are Arions. A lot of Arions."

"Crap!" said Kathleen.

"Okay, maybe this'll be less of a turkey shoot," said Myah, "But I'm down for a fair fight!"

"Nuthin' ever gets to ya, huh?" said Kathleen.

"Optimism is the key to fully enjoying life, my well-endowed friend!" Myah accompanied this with a thumbs-up.

"Hey, you keep away from my boobs, y'hear? Or I'll deck ya like Eila did!"

"Now that's just mean! Just remember who's giving ya escort right now!"

"Quit it, you two," said Miki, "We've gotta concentrate on those Arions coming at us."

"Well, they haven't detected us yet, thanks to Kathleen's jamming," said Ayumi, "Let's take the initiative. Mad Hatter Team, go for missile lock!"

Ayumi, Azalea, and Gracie lowered their Head-Mounted Displays in front of their eyes and armed their missiles. A reticle displayed on the small glass screen, while a steady beeping sound began playing in their headsets. Next to the reticle was the ESM level reading, which showed "LVL 3", the highest level. _Thanks to you, Miki,_ thought Ayumi, _these first shots will be a hit for sure._

The three girls finally heard the steady tone of a good lock and fired.

"Shinden, Fox 3!" An AAM-4 launched from Ayumi's Striker. Its little rocket motor started up, and it began to accelerate.

"Warwolf, Fox 3!" Azalea loosed an AIM-120 AMRAAM from her Striker. It too rocketed off in the direction of its target.

"Deacon, Fox 3!" Another AIM-120 AMRAAM from Gracie jettisoned and flew off.

Like a miniature version of the Mad Hatter Team, these three missiles streaked towards their prey. All the Arions broke and scattered, dumping shards of chaff. However, it was pointless.

Aided by the Miki's ESM signals and magic abilities, the missiles continued to track towards the Arions, and soon, three explosions echoed across the sky, sending three showers of Neuroi fragments.

"Boom! Headshot!" Gracie shouted with her fingers arranged to shape a gun aimed at the downed targets. She brought her finger-gun to her mouth to blow away the fictitious smoke.

"Great shot, ladies!" said Ayumi, "And thank you, too, Miki."

"My pleasure," said Miki.

"But it's not over yet. We've still got a lot of bandits in the sky. Mad Hatter Team, we're going to punch right through that furball. Break and engage at will once we do. Party Hat Team, try to remain outside. Addy, Myah, you know what to do. Top Hat Team, take care of the stragglers just like you were briefed."

"Aw, hell yeah!" said Mariela over the comlink, "Imma get some music playing to get the hype going!"

[Musical Accompaniment: "Derezzed" by Daft Punk]

As Daft Punk's "Derezzed" began to play over the comm channel, Mad Hatter Team accelerated to Mach 1.6, blowing right through the furball of Neuroi with their autocannons blazing. Some more Arions were destroyed, others fired back, and a few tried to climb to bug out. They didn't notice the pair of witches waiting for them up there.

Carly and Eliza spotted the runners. They were still below them, but were climbing fast. They looked at each other and smiled. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Carly asked roguishly.

"Yep," said Eliza with equal flair.

The pair of Top Hats pitched up, climbed a bit, and then let gravity take them down. Igniting their afterburners, they shot towards their prey. To maintain surprise, they elected to go for a gun kill. The poor buggers didn't even see them coming. With a loud hum, their autocannons spun to life and hosed down a couple of the Neuroi Arions to shreds.

Overshooting the rest in their dive, Carly and Eliza split off and began pulling up to level off. Their momentum, coupled with gravity's pull, made that a very arduous task. The G-forces were tremendous!

Grunting under the pressure, Carly felt special airbags on the inside of her Striker's leg sockets inflate, constricting her legs and keeping the blood flowing up to her upper body. This was just enough to keep her conscious, and she successfully pulled out of the dive. She formed up with Eliza, and the two resumed their top cover.

By now, both Mad Hatter Team and Party Hat Team had gotten caught up in the dogfight furball. They all maneuvered furiously, dodging or shielding attacks and carrying out attacks of their own. Addy and Myah looked like they had the hardest job, as they not only had to keep the Neuroi off Miki and Kathleen's backs, but they had to hold formation with them as they themselves wildly maneuvered to keep from being shot down.

Suddenly, something strange happened. Some of the Arions began changing shape. And Ayumi knew she wasn't going to like what they were becoming.

"All witches, this is Mad Hatter 1. Be advised, there are Shapeshifter Deltas mixed in with the Arions!"

"Aw, FUCK!" shouted Gracie.

"Mad Hatter Team, keep the Shapeshifters occupied. Don't let them get to Mamushi and Jester! Party Hat Team, try to get away from the furball!"

"Wilco," said everyone. Azalea and Gracie began taking shots at the Shapeshifters to get their attention. The Shapeshifters fired back in anger.

Gracie dodged and activated her ability. She disappeared from sight, replaced by a shimmering outline. "Can't hit what you can't see, you shape-shifting sons of bitches!"

"Great! Now I can't see you either," said Azalea.

Gracie responded with a laugh.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back in Snow Goose 2-7

Anna and Eila sat in the lounge. It was pretty empty, save for Rosalina, who was a ground attack witch and was therefore put on standby.

"So, Eila," Anna began, "tell me about what happened last night before you found us."

"Well, it was a pretty peaceful and uneventful night," recalled Eila, "Sanya and I were on night patrol. And then, out of nowhere, the sky lit up with a bright purple light."

"Purple?"

"Mm-hm. It was blinding. And there was this loud hum, and a lot of static electricity. The air seemed to crackle with it."

"Mm, that does not sound too fun," said Rosalina, who had overheard the story and walked over to hear more.

"It wasn't. Anyway, after a few seconds, it all stopped, and everything went back to normal. Except for the aurorae in the sky and Sanya's magic antennae going all haywire. Aurorae aren't supposed to appear this far south, you know. Anyway, those faded away and Sanya's antennae went back to normal. That's when she picked up your pilot's transmissions. Once we radioed back to Minna about the transmissions, she had us locate their source. And that's when we found you guys."

"Hmmmmm," said Anna, placing her hand on her chin with a pensive look in her eye, "This is most peculiar. That same purple light, along with the loud hum and excess of electric energy all happened to us as well. Then, there was the violent jolting and spinning, almost as if the plane was having its own earthquake."

"It must have been a pretty hectic scene," said Eila, "I mean, when we found you, the plane was burnt and charred all over the front section. And your pilot also said that the communications were fried, and that he couldn't get in touch with something called _'awax'_ or _'ayteesee'_ , or something like that? By the way, what are those things, anyway?"

Anna smiled, slightly amused over Eila's confusion. "AWACS stands for 'Airborne Warning And Control System'. It's a big plane with a very powerful radar on it that can detect and locate numerous units at vast distances. Basically, it does what Sanya can, just on a larger scale. ATC stands for 'Air Traffic Control'. They're the boys responsible for—"

"Lemme guess, air traffic control?" said Eila.

"Precisely. They help prevent mid-air collisions and keep tabs on all the aircraft in the sky."

"So, the pilot was trying to call one of those guys to get an idea of where they were?" asked Eila.

"Exactly."

"Ah. May I ask some questions about the year 2015?"

"Go on," said Anna, suddenly curious.

"Errm…do Sanya and I…you know…get together? Are Lidiya and DJ sisters? And how come you and Katya both have Sanya and Minna's last names?"

"Ah, you wanted to ask about our family ties." Anna paused to clear her throat. "First off, I feel like it's best that I don't reveal too much about the future. That would make things awkward. That being said, Lidiya can trace her lineage back to you and Sanya. As for DJ, she's not a direct descendant of yours, as she comes from your sister Aurora's line. As for Katya and me, we can in fact trace our lineages back to Sanya and Minna. But, I…do not recall them ever getting together officially, if that's what you're wondering. Basically, Lidiya and DJ are second cousins, and Katya and I are Lidiya's half-sisters and DJ's half-cousins."

"Oh…." said Eila.

Just then, Mariela came up on the plane's PA system. " _Herr Oberst_ , I've been monitoring communications with the witches, and we may have a situation on our hands."

"Go on," said Anna.

"Ayumi and everyone have made contact with the Neuroi squadron, and they turned out to be Arions. And Shapeshifter Deltas."

" _Shapeshifters?!_ " Anna straightened up in shock, "Tell Firebird Team AND Wolf Flight to sortie out immediately! I repeat, _immediately_!"

"Right away," said Mariela, "Firebird Team, Wolf Flight, you are clear to sortie. Take off immediately and head to Shinden's location. Be advised, hostiles are Arion-class and Shapeshifter-Delta-class fighters."

* * *

A couple minutes later…

Down in the flight deck

Lidiya and Katrina, the last two Firebirds in the hangar bay, launched from the catapults and rocketed out to join Makoa and DJ, who'd already launched. Once they were out, Katya and Evy, the first two Wolves, lined up and hooked themselves to the catapults to launch next. Running through their preflight checklist, everyone mentally prepared themselves for the coming action.

* * *

Snow Goose 2-7's Control Room

[Musical Accompaniment: "Street Fighter War" by Sick Puppies]

With "Derezzed" now finished playing, Mariela said, "I think it's time for a song with more hype in it. Ah, here's a good one." She booted up "Street Fighter War" by Sick Puppies. Getting into the mood, she whipped out her drumsticks, and began to air-drum along with the rhythm, silently singing along. Sanya, being unfamiliar with the music genre, much less Mariela's behavior, was shocked and greatly bewildered.

* * *

0735 Hours, Same day

Somewhere over Karlsland

The 501st had been flying for the past 30 minutes now, but there was still no sign of the Neuroi. Or Sanya and Eila, for that matter.

"I wonder if we've been sent on a wild goose chase," said Amirah tiredly, adjusting the twin-barreled 20mm cannon she had slung over her shoulder.

"No," said Minna, "I can sense them near. But I still can't find Sanya or Eila." She began to feel uneasy again, fearing the worst.

Trude flew over to Minna's side and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them," she said, "They're capable of taking care of themselves."

"Yeah," said Mio, flying her new N1K2-J Shiden Kai, a replacement of her old A6M Zero, "I wouldn't worry too much about them. Who knows? Maybe they've just decided to extend their patrol a little longer, and are now making their way back?"

Soon, they made visual contact with the Neuroi, which were already caught up in an intense air battle with some other witches, which themselves were unrecognizable to Minna or anyone else. For one thing, they were all flying etherjet Strikers that looked nothing like the kinds they were familiar with. Heck, the Neuroi didn't even look all that familiar, except for the Shapeshifter Deltas. "What the hell is going on?" wondered Minna, "Who are these witches?"

Before her questions could be answered, a few of the Neuroi broke off from the fight and advanced on them. Minna ordered everyone to put up their shields and prepare to counterattack. However, that was unnecessary.

Suddenly, shots rang out, seemingly from behind them, impacting and destroying the Neuroi. Everyone looked behind them, trying to find the shooter.

"Hey, I'm over here," said a voice. They all turned in surprise. Standing there in front of them was a witch laughing her butt off. She was dressed in an unrecognizable uniform with Royal Navy marks on it, wearing a worn-out black baseball cap backwards, equipped with strange Strikers with Britannian roundels on them, and holding an unrecognizable rifle in her hands. Other than that, her face looked very familiar, save for the large scar that dominated the right side of her face.

"Lynne-chan?" asked Yoshika.

"Who?" asked the girl, "My name isn't Lynne. I'm Commander Gracie Bishop of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. I must say, you lot aren't exactly the reinforcements we were expecting, but you came just in nick of time. These guys are really giving us hell."

Suddenly, Neuroi beams came flying in their direction. Reacting quickly, Gracie threw up a shield, aimed her bolt-action rifle twice, ejected the spent clip, and put in another, all while her shield was still up. She turned around and smiled proudly. "Now, I must go! My planet needs me!"

Gracie disappeared, replaced by a shimmering outline. "You're welcome to join anytime!" said the outline, or at least that's what it sounded like. It streaked away in a loud jet roar.

"Who the hell was that?" asked Erica.

"I dunno," said Shirley, "But that Striker sure looks fast."

"Do you think she could be a relative of Lynne-san's?" asked Shizuka, "Like a sister, or something?"

"I do not know," said Minna, "But right now, we have more pressing matters to deal with. 501st, break and engage the Neuroi at will."

"Understood," the others shouted in unison as they spread out and engaged.

* * *

Perrine took Yoshika and Shizuka and went after some Neuroi. They had tiny delta-shaped bodies, and were extremely fast. They were beginning to get away. "I'm not letting you get away," said Perrine. She, Yoshika, and Shizuka fed power into their Strikers and accelerated.

Suddenly, large rockets appeared from above them and impacted the Neuroi, destroying them in a huge fireball. Perrine and company had no time to react and slow down, so they flew right into it. Thankfully, the shields they quickly threw up saved them from most of the fire and shrapnel, but a blackened fragment lodged itself into Perrine's hand, while others grazed Yoshika in the ear and Shizuka in the arm.

Two of the unusual witches flew down to them, their eyes wide with shock. "A-are you hit with any Neuroi fragments?" the blond-haired one nervously asked.

"Huh?!" asked Perrine in pain and shock. The blond-haired witch, who oddly looked a lot like Perrine without glasses, grabbed Perrine's wounded hand and inspected it, making Perrine wince. "Ouch! Just who do you think you are?!" said Perrine in anger.

The Perrine-lookalike turned her intense gaze to Perrine's face. She then pointed to a white armband tied around her right arm; it had a Red Cross symbol on it. "See this armband? I'm a freakin' medic. And you are wounded. Which makes you my patient. Now, shut up, and let me take care of this for you. Ayumi, could you help out the other two, please?"

"Sure thing, boss lady," said a brown-haired witch, who looked like Yoshika, with a little bit of Shizuka mixed in.

"You know, you're the boss lady in this operation, Ayumi."

"I know, but you're the medical expert, here, Addy."

"True." The Perrine-lookalike, apparently named Addy, opened up a medical bag slung over her shoulder, takes out a roll of bandages and a bottle labeled "Hydrogen Peroxide", and tossed those items to the other girl, apparently named Ayumi. Adddy turned her attention back to Perrine and said, "Well, the good news is it's not a Neuroi shard. But I'm gonna run a scan to check for infection."

"Infection?" asked Perrine.

"Yes. You never know." Addy's right hand began glowing blue, and she ran it over Perrine's hand and arm. "More good news. No infection. Now, I'm gonna dislodge the fragment, which might hurt. Ready?"

Perrine held her breath and nodded. Taking out a pair of forceps, Addy clamped down onto the shard, counted to three, and yanked it out as hard as she could. Perrine yelped in pain. "Ow! ' _Might_ hurt?!'"

"Sorry. Anyway, there's no time for healing magic, so I'm just gonna apply First Aid and a bandage." Addy took out another roll of bandages, a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, and a cotton ball. "This is going to sting." Wetting the ball with the Peroxide, Addy placed it on Perrine's hand and applied pressure.

Perrine winced again. "Owwwww!" Once that was done, Addy wrapped the wound in bandages, tossed the cotton ball in an orange bag labeled "Biohazard", and put everything back in her bag. It was then that Perrine noticed her name patch, and it read…"Clostermann?"

"Yes, ma'am, that's my name. Lt. Adelaide Clostermann, 815th Joint Air Wing. Addy's just a nickname. Am I correct in assuming you are Perrine Clostermann?"

Perrine nodded in astonishment. "Y-yes…"

"That makes me your great-granddaughter. Now, I have to get back to my flight. We can talk some more later." With that, she flew off with a roar of her Striker's engines.

The other witch, Ayumi, flew up to Perrine and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that close missile shot. I'll keep a lookout for friendlies next time. By the way, I'm Jr. Adm. Miyafuji Ayumi." She gave a salute with two fingers, and rocketed off. "See ya!"

Perrine, Yoshika, and Shizuka hovered there, staring in amazement. They didn't exactly know how to process what just happened, much less who the two witches were. Shaking her head to regain her focus, Perrine said, "A-at any rate, let's just get back to the battle."

" _Hai_ ," said Yoshika and Shizuka. The three of them flew back into the fray.

* * *

35,000 feet above all this, Carly Yeager and Eliza Voychek continued their top cover mission, watching for any bogeys who broke away from the fight. Carly then noticed an orange-haired witch and a black-haired witch attempting to chase after a super-fast Shapeshifter. As expected, they were falling behind in their reciprocating-engine-equipped Strikers. She also noticed an Arion gaining on their tail, which went unnoticed by the two witches. Something needed to be done, or else those two were going to get shot down.

Myah Lucchini's voice came over the comm. "Carly, I have a plan to help those two out, but I need your help."

"Acknowledged. Coming over to you now," said Carly, "Eliza, stay here and keep looking out for stragglers."

"Got it," said Eliza.

Carly flipped over and dove down to Myah. "So what's the plan?"

"Here it is: you climb up, activate your Speed Boost, dive, and take out the Arion from above. You're gonna have to use your gun, 'cause it may be too risky for a missile shot. I'm gonna grab those two, and use my Speed Boost to get them close enough to take out that Shapeshifter. Kathleen, you're gonna help us out with ECM cover. Got all that?"

"Yep," said Carly.

"So, yer ropin' me into this little scheme, ar' ya?" said Kathleen.

"Are you in?" asked Myah.

"Yeah, shore," said Kathleen.

"Okay, let's do this thing."

Carly zoom climbs up for a high-speed yo-yo; activating her Speed Boost ability, she dove on the Arion, peppering it with 20mm shells from her Vulcan. It died not even knowing what hit it. "I got the tail," she said, "Myah, it's all you now."

"Here I go!" Myah shouted excitedly. She quickly caught up with the two witches, but quickly overshot. _Dammit_ , she berated herself. Decelerating, she formed up next to the black-haired witch. "Hey there. Okay, here's what's gonna happen. You both hold on to my hands, and I'm gonna boost you in close enough to take down that Shapeshifter. Got it?"

The two witches looked at each other. "Sounds like a good idea," said one.

"It does," said the other, "Okay, we're in."

"Alright then, here goes nothing." Myah grabbed their hands and prepped to activate her Speed Boost. Suddenly, her Striker went haywire, and she fell out of the sky like brick. _Of all the times_ ….."SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT…!"

Myah let go of the two other witches and hit a button on her right Striker leg. The Typhoon's engines cut out, and chutes deployed from the cockpit-like bulge on the back of her Strikers, and she floated safely down to the ground. Once she hit the ground, she jumped out of her Strikers and went to work isolating the problem. "Definitely not gonna mess with those computer systems again," she said to herself.

Up above, Carly shook her head. _Not again, Myah_ , she thought to herself. She flew down to the two witches. "That Shapeshifter's getting away. If we hurry, we might catch it. Take my hands."

Nodding, the two witches grabbed Carly's hands, and Carly activated her Speed Boost. The FR-71 Habu was already a fast craft; like its SR-71 Blackbird big sister, it could manage Mach 3.35 without much strain on the user. With Carly's Speed Boost ability, that top speed bumped up to Mach 4. So when Carly streaked off towards their target, they were moving at quite the clip.

"Get your guns ready!" she said, "We've only got about a second before we overshoot. NOW! FIRE FIRE FIRE!"

The two witches fired their machine guns, and the Shapeshifter was quickly obliterated. The three barreled right through the shrapnel cloud, and little shards of Neuroi grazed their faces. Carly quickly decelerated and formed up with Addy, Kathleen, and Miki. The orange-haired witch thanked Carly for helping them take down that Shapeshifter, before finally asking the million-dollar question, "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Carly Yeager. Call me Comet, Carly, Yeager, one of those three. I'm a Major in the US Air Force, and the fastest human alive. Well, I was, until just earlier. Now you two are, too."

"And I thought I was the fastest," said the orange-haired witch, "Charlotte Yeager. Call me Shirley."

"Francesca Lucchini. Romagnan Air Force. Just call me Lucchini," said the black-haired witch with a bright smile.

"I had no idea I had a sister," said Shirley, "And where did you get a Striker like that? And ain't it the US Army Air Corps?"

"Sister? I'm not your sister. We're still family though; I'm just from another generation. My Striker's actually still in the testing phases; I've got one of the pre-production models. And the Air Branch separated from the Army back in '47."

"Eh-?" Shirley and Lucchini looked at Carly in shock. "What do you mean another generation?"

Sanya's voice began to come over the radio, alongside some kind of intense rock song. "What Carly meant to say, Shirley, is that she's your great-granddaughter."

"Sanya! Is that you? Where are you?" asked Shirley.

"Somewhere safe. Eila's here, too."

"What's important now is that you can communicate with us," said another girl with a Karlsland accent, "I know you've got a buttload of questions. Save them for later, and for right now, just roll with it."

"Who are you?" asked Shirley.

"Hey, da hell did I just say about rolling with it?" said the Karlslander girl again.

"Mariela, please," said Sanya.

"Sorry. Ahem, now don't worry about me. Worry about the Neuroi. Then ask all the questions you want. 'Kay?"

"Okay," said Shirley.

"Alright, I gotta get back to my friend flying top cover. See ya around, Shirley and Lucchini." With that, Carly was gone.

Kathleen came on over the comm. "Uh, guys, my magic meter's showin' that ahm redlining. Gonna need to fly back now. Ahm real sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Jester," said Miki, "Nightingale, escort Jester back to Snow Goose 2-7."

"But, what about you, Mamushi?"

"Go, Party Hat 2. That's an order, _da-ze_."

"Understood. Breaking to provide escort for Party Hat 3."

Once Addy and Kathleen left, Miki turned her attention to Shirley and Lucchini. "Yo, Shirley-san, Lucchini-san, over here, _da-ze_. I'm Capt. 1st Rank Sakamoto Miki. I'm a little short on escort right now. Could you keep the Neuroi off my back until Myah gets back?"

" _Sakamoto?!_ Ahem, uh, roger that, Capt. Sakamoto. Um, where are you?"

"Look to your left."

Once Shirley and Lucchini looked in her direction, she got their attention with a wave. The pair flew over to Miki, and gawked at her in awe. Unlike the others, Miki was wearing an E-2F-Kai Hawkeye, a Fusan license-built version of the Liberian E-2 Hawkeye. A turboprop-driven Striker, it had a big circular radome on her back, thicker legs with long straight wings, and magic propellers located just in front of large air intakes and topped with a cone. Each wing had fuselage-like pods mounted in the middle; the pods had odd empennages with two rudders. All of this culminated to make a very unusual-looking Striker.

"That's a funny-looking Striker you've got there," said Lucchini.

"Yeah," said Miki, "But my job ain't fighting. See, I'm what we call an Electronic Support witch. I can use this big radar dome on my back to locate and keep track of bogeys and friendlies. Everything it sees, I can see on this." She held up her tablet display. "I can also use the systems and my magic to augment the guidance systems on the others missiles and other guided munitions. But let's not worry about that. I'm tracking a bogey trying to bug out." Miki showed the location on her tablet display.

"It's going pretty fast," said Lucchini, "I don't know if we'd be able to catch it."

"But the others are busy with their own targets right now," said Miki. Thinking for a while, she had an idea. "I know! How about we make it slow down?"

"Make it slow down?" questioned Shirley, "How?"

Miki whipped out her wrist-mounted grappling-hook launchers. "With these!"

"And how will those make it slow down?" Shirley asked incredulously.

"Like this!" Miki held out her arms and shot off her right grappling hook, which were stowed as flechettes to reduce drag. She watched them fly towards the target, and once she felt the line go taut, she knew she had it; she began pulling back on the line like a fisherman reeling in a catch. However, the Neuroi won out the tug-of-war battle, and soon Miki was the one being pulled. Shirley and Lucchini tried all they could to help pull back, but it was no good, and they, too, were being pulled. "Wahoo! This is just like wakeboarding!"

"Do I wanna know what that is?!" asked Shirley.

"Yep! It's intense! Yeah! Live to the max, yo!" Miki pumped her free left fist in the air in excitement, taking on a stance as if she really were on a wakeboard.

* * *

Sakamoto Mio flew around in her N1K2-J Shiden Kai. Thanks to her fighter's quick and nimble flight characteristics, she was able to prove herself a worthy opponent to the Neuroi Arions and Shapeshifters – as the other witches called them – she even scored a couple of kills. Banking the plane right, she noticed an Arion flying uncharacteristically slow; she also noticed Shirley, Lucchini, and another witch in a strange-looking Striker trailing it like an owner of an out-of-control dog. Seeing an opportunity to bag another kill, she banked some more and dove, lighting the Arion up with her 20mms and machine guns.

With another Neuroi added to her tally, Mio leveled out, seeing the unfamiliar witch right above her cockpit, waving. "Yo, thanks for the help, _da-ze!_ " she said.

"Ahahaha! It's my pleasure," she said with a smile, "Thanks for setting up the easy kill."

"No problem. It's my job, yo. I can help you get more. I point 'em out, you go get 'em. How's that sound?"

"I like the sound of that."

"Alrighty! I'm Miki Sakamoto, Captain 1st Rank in the Fuso Maritime Self Defense Force, and your great-granddaughter."

"Yeah, I kind of figured as much," said Mio, "Sanya tells me you're somehow from another time."

"Yep, that's what I've been told, too," said Miki, "And judging by what I've been seeing lately, I'm beginning to think that's true."

Mio laughed her characteristic laugh and formed up with Miki, Shirley, Lucchini. "Well, seeing as how you are the ranking officer out of all of us, lead the way, Miki."

"Sure thing _, o bāchan,_ _da-ze._ "

* * *

0745 Hours, Same day

Somewhere over Karlsland

After much fiddling with and rewiring of her Typhoon's computer systems, Myah was finally back in the air. She rejoined Miki and her new party. "Hey, what's happening?" she said, "I heard what happened with Kathleen and Addy. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," said Miki, "Anyway, meet your great-grandmother."

"Hey, I'm-uwah!" Before Myah could fully introduce herself, she felt a pair of small hands grab her breasts from behind.

"Mm, hm hm, you've got a nice size, but you're not as big as Shirley."

"W-well, I ain't a Yeager," Myah said, "H-hmmm. So this is what it feels like to be grabbed, huh-h? You must be Francesca Lucchini, my great-grandma."

Lucchini released her hold and smiled brightly. "That's me."

"This is insane! I'm basically older than my own great-grandma right now."

"Really?" asked Lucchini, "How old are you?"

"17."

"I'm 13," said Lucchini.

Miki butted in, "I don't mean to interrupt, but there's still a crap-ton of Neuroi here."

"Right," said Myah, "Ah, this is gonna be a long and hard battle."

[Musical Accompaniment: "Shoot to Thrill" by ACDC]

Suddenly, a new song began playing over the comm, along with a message from Makoa, "Firebird 2 to all witches, be advised, we are on the scene and ready to assist. Can't let you guys take all the credit!"

Katya came up next, "Wolf 2 here, be advised, we are right behind Firebird Team, and we've brought Addy along. Will engage as soon as we arrive."

"AL-RIGHT!" shouted Gracie.

"You guys came in a nick of time," said Azalea, "I thought I'd never get time for a nap, what with hella Neuroi still flying around."

Firebird Team came in at high speed from the north, their autocannons spitting fire; Katrina's rounds were buffed with her Eruption ability, making them extremely lethal. Many Neuroi fell to the shock-and-awe attack.

* * *

Perrine, Yoshika, and Shizuka cheered as the Firebirds completed their pass and neatly fanned out of formation. "These witches are unlike anything I've ever seen!" Shizuka said excitedly.

"I'll admit that they're skills are indeed notable," said Perrine, "But they could use a lesson or two in manners. And what is this racket they call music?"

"I'm sure Adelaide-san was just focusing on your wound," said Yoshika, "as any good medic would."

"Hmmm," said Perrine, "Well, at any rate, we must focus on the task at hand. I can deal with this great-granddaughter of mine later."

Suddenly, a voice on their radio called out, "Look out! Bandits on your six!"

Behind them, they saw a Shapeshifter flanked by two Arions – bad odds if they'd ever had some. But they're luck changed when they saw a jet witch come in behind those three Neuroi; suddenly, one witch became three, and all three of them fired missiles simultaneously, destroying Perrine, Yoshika, and Shizuka's would-be attackers.

Passing overhead, the three identical-looking witches simultaneously said, "You're welcome!" Then, the witch in the center spawned more clones of herself.

"Thanks for saving us!" said Yoshika, waving to the clone squadron.

* * *

Trude and Erica were back-to-back, completely surrounded by Neuroi; however, this did not appear to phase them, as they were slaying them in a most rapid and efficient manner. Over the chatter of their MG 42s, they could be heard exchanging tallies as one after another Neuroi fell to their guns.

"Got one!"

"Got another!"

"One for me!"

"Me too!"

Then, two witches with Karlslander roundels on their Strikers entered their furball in a clean formation. They went to work, destroying the Neuroi with as much ease and precision that rivaled Trude and Erica's. Needless to say, they were truly amazing.

"Valkyrie, Fox 2!"

"Weisse Teufel, Fox 2!"

"Valkyrie, bagged a kill."

"Weisse Teufel, one for me."

"On your right."

"I see him. Nab the one on our six."

"Got him!"

Once the furball thinned out, the two joined Trude and Erica, and they found out why the two took out the Neuroi so quickly and cleanly; one of the witches had brown hair and a face like Trude's, while the other had blonde hair and features like Erica. They were none other than their descendants!

"Mind if we join you?" asked the Erica-lookalike.

"Um, sure," said Erica.

Trude looked at her lookalike and gawked at how much equipment she was carrying. Aside from a big four-barreled gun of some sort, she was carrying another gun, two rocket launchers with massive warheads, and a small sub-machinegun-looking gun; not to mention there were several large missiles attached to her Striker's wings. The two introduced themselves.

" _Hauptmann_ Evelyn Barkhorn of the _Bundeswehr Luftwaffe_ ," said Trude's lookalike.

"And I'm _Stabshauptmann_ Frederica Hartmann, also of the _Bundeswehr Luftwaffe_ ," said Erica's lookalike.

"From what I remember about you, Flt. Lt. Barkhorn, you like a big punch," said Evelyn, gesturing to Trude's twin MG 42s, "But you're gonna need something with a bigger punch to take down those Shapeshifters. If those ones are from my timeline, then they would have armor too thick for the 42's rounds."

Evelyn unslung the unusual four-barreled gun and handed it to Trude, "Try this one out. Sights are here. This button spools up the barrels, and the gun will start to fire once they're at speed. This weapon uses a lot of ammo in a short time, so keep the bursts short. Got it?"

Trude nodded, a little stunned at the extra weight in her arms. She quickly got used to it, however; this was the Trude who held and fired an MK214 50mm cannon.

"Okay, give it a go," said Evelyn.

Trude spotted a Shapeshifter circling around towards them. Taking aim with her new gun, she pressed the button; the gun did something unexpected. The barrels began to spin at incredible speed, and instead of the staccato _rat-tat-tat-tat-tat_ of a normal machine gun, this gun began to roar, _wrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_! A stream of bullets arced towards the Shapeshifter, ripping it to shreds. Trude let go of the button, and the gun stopped roaring; her hands were still tingling. Trude didn't know exactly what to say, "That was…thrilling…What is this thing?"

"That's a GAU-22/A 25mm Gatling cannon. It can fire up 3000 rounds per minute," said Evelyn.

"Whoa…" said Trude.

Frederica came up to Erica and said, "Hey, wanna try the Minigun?"

"Uh, okay," said Erica.

Frederica handed Erica her "Minigun". Erica quickly noticed that there was nothing "Mini" about this gun! "Waaah! It's heavy!"

"Aw, it's not that bad," said Frederica, "Come on, toughen up."

"Ehhhhhh," said Erica, "Fine, I'll try it out." Erica lined up another Neuroi fighter, this time an Arion, and fired away. Like Trude's Shapeshifter, the Arion was ripped to shreds, and like Trude, Erica's hands were tingling once the gun stopped firing. "Whoa, this is…"

Trude and Erica tried to return the strange weapons, but Evelyn and Frederica let them keep it; they even tried giving them all the ammo and equipment for it, which made things a little heavier for Trude and Erica. In the end, Evelyn and Frederica just took the guns back.

* * *

To conserve the ammunition in their Gatlings, Evelyn and Erica slung them over their shoulders and grabbed their secondary rifles. Evelyn had an H&K 417 with a suppressor and an ACOG sight attached, while Frederica had a Kel-Tech RFB which had a unique bullpup arrangement.

Disengaging the safety and cocking her 417, Evelyn said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go bag us some Neuroi."

"Hell yeah!" shouted Frederica.

"I'm in," said Erica.

"Count me in, too," said Trude.

The four witches formed up and flew off to engage some more targets.

* * *

Katrina noticed a witch expertly flying what looks like an Ultramarine Spitfire Striker. She flies over to say hi.

At around the same time, some Neuroi manage to surround the witch, so Katrina speeds in to help. Upon getting closer, she saw that the witch was carrying a twin-barreled 20mm cannon and had similar looks to her, and she immediately realized who the witch was. Katrina went back-to-back to this girl and said, "I got your back, 'kay?"

The other witch, a little stunned at Katrina's sudden appearance, said, "Okay."

The pair went to work, and the Neuroi began to fall. As they hosed down the Neuroi with their autocannons, Katrina introduced herself, "2nd Lt. Katrina Khadijah binti Adam, Royal Malayan Air Force. I'm your great-granddaughter. Nice to meet ya."

"Great-granddaughter, huh?" said the other witch, "I'm Flight Lieutenant Amirah Aisyah Sulaiman, RAF. Nice to meet you, Katrina."

"Likewise. Now, let's take these fuckers down. Then we can talk more."

"I'd have some things to say about your language when we do."

Katrina just laughed.

* * *

Minna and Heidemarie flew a little ways above the battle, having a birds-eye view of everyone; this wasn't to say that they didn't get to take down some Neuroi, too, for there were some who'd broken away from the main battle and unsuccessfully tried to bug out. Minna was astonished at the efficiency and coordination that these descendants of theirs displayed in their tactics. She even got to meet their operational commander, one Junior Admiral Miyafuji Ayumi, who said she was 20 years old. It truly was something else.

Minna saw a witch flying up to her, and she and Heidemarie took special notice at the shape of her Striker. Unlike the other witches' Strikers, whose wings were either swept back or delta-shaped, hers were swept forward and painted black with a large Golden Eagle painted on the wings. This witch formed up next to Minna.

"Hey there," she said, " _Podpolkovnik_ , or Lt. Col., Yekaterina Viernya Litvyak von Wilke. Orussian Aerospace Forces. Call me Katya."

"von Wilke? _Litvyak_ von Wilke," asked Minna, "You're a descendant of both Sanya and me?"

"Yes," said Katya.

"So does that mean that Sanya and I…?" Minna blushed.

"No," said Katya matter-of-factly, "but a descendant of yours marries a descendant of Sanya's."

"Oh," said Minna, visibly relieved, "If you're a descendant of mine, how come you are in the Orussian Air Force?"

"Our parents divorced, and I went with my dad to Orussia. My mom and sister stayed in Karlsland."

"You have a sister?"

"Yep. She's in Snow Goose 2-7. Say hi, Anna."

Another girl's voice came up over Minna's radio. "Hello, Great-grandma. I'm _Oberst_ Anna Dietlinde Litvyak von Wilke of the _Bundeswehr Luftwaffe_ , and the Commanding Officer of the 413th Joint Tactical Fighter Squadron."

"Is that this squadron here?" asked Minna.

"Partially. There are elements of another squadron, the 815th Joint Air Wing."

"Why did you not join them?"

"I'm running C&C, or Command and Control, from Snow Goose 2-7. Ayumi's got operational command right now. And I wanted to ask Eila some questions."

"Eila's with you?"

"Yes. In fact, here she is right now."

"Hey, Minna," said Eila over the radio, "Sanya and I are safe. We're here with Anna."

"Good."

"We'll talk some more after those Neuroi are taken care of, okay?" said Anna.

"Okay," said Minna. She then turned to Katya and Heidemarie and said, "Well then, let's get these Neuroi so I can finally ask some much-needed questions."

"Roger that, Great-grandma Minna!" said Katya.

"J-just call me Minna," said Minna with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, okay," said Katya.

* * *

0800 Hours, Same day (15 minutes later)

Somewhere over Karlsland

15 minutes after Firebird Team and Wolf Flight's arrival, the Neuroi were finally on the run. Ayumi and the rest of Mad Hatter Team formed up with Minna, Katya, and Heidemarie. "Hello there, Wing Commander," she said, "The Neuroi are finally retreating; however, I suggest we take them down, or else the Arions and modern-day Shapeshifters will multiply and spread."

"I say we finish them off," said Minna.

"Good idea. This is Mad Hatter 1 to all witches. Be advised, all bogeys are attempting to bug out. You are cleared to give chase. Keep an eye on your magic level meters, and fly back to Snow Goose 2-7 when you start to feel low. Don't let them escape the battle space."

"501st, you heard Jr. Adm. Miyafuji. Engage the leftover Neuroi."

"Eh, Wing Commander, you don't have to treat me as a higher-up. If anything, Katya should be giving the orders. She's my XO."

"XO?"

"'Executive officer.' Second to the CO, or 'Commanding Officer,'" Ayumi explained.

"But Anna gave you operational command, so you're the one giving the orders, here," said Katya.

"Yeah, you're right," said Ayumi, "At any rate, let's go run those Neuroi down."

"Right behind you, Mad Hatter Team," said Minna. She was beginning to get the hang of the modern-day witches' radio-speak.

Suddenly, two very large Neuroi ships appeared from the east, firing lasers at everyone. As they all threw up shields to defend themselves and Mio, the smaller Neuroi turned around and resumed their attack.

"Ah, _yare yare da-ze_ ," said Miki in exhaustion.

Some Arions fired their missiles, which the modern-day witches evaded with flares and chaff; using a shield would be pointless, as one Neuroi missile would instantly obliterate it, taking out a healthy portion of the witch's magic and leaving her exposed to further attack.

Everyone began to counterattack, but the big Neurois' armor was too thick for machine guns and autocannons to make a dent; missiles and rockets do the trick, but the Neuroi regenerate too fast. Makoa then had an idea, and called to Miki, "Miki, could you use your Magic Eyes? I'm gonna fire my Energy Beams."

"Your…what?" asked Perrine, who was next to Makoa.

"Magic Energy Beams," said Makoa, "It's my ability. Miki, Magic Eyes, please?"

"You got it, boss," said Miki. Miki briefly closed her eyes and concentrated; when she opened them again, both eyes glowed a violet color. "Eyes are up, Makoa," she said.

"Thanks," said Makoa, "Point them at the one on the right."

"Okay." Miki focused on the big Neuroi on the right; looking right through the Neuroi's surface armor, she located the core. "It's right smack in the middle, _da-ze_. Armor is pretty strong around there, so focus both beams right on top. Got it?"

"Got it." Makoa powered up her energy, and the Hawaiian-tattoo-style magic symbols on her arms began to glow; she also took notice that the hexagonal circuit-looking symbols, partially covered by Kaminari's old bandage, on her right arm were glowing a more violet color, while the normal symbols on her left glowed blue. _Could this be a result of my infection,_ she wondered to herself.

The big Neuroi ship advanced, as if confident that it could finish off its puny adversaries. Makoa flew up over the Neuroi, and took position over the center of its Trilobite-shaped body. The Neuroi fired lasers at her, which she blocked with her shield; this diverted some of the energy she had stored for her beams, and she had to charge up once more. Finally, she was fully charged and ready to shoot. "Tch. You've got lasers, eh?" Makoa held out her arms, "Well…SO DO I!"

From the symbols on her hands erupted two bright beams of energy – the left beam shone the bright blue of pure magic energy; the right beam shone violet, being a mixture of magic and Neuroi miasma energy.

Like a white-hot knife through butter, Makoa's beams cut right through the big Neuroi's body and core. As Makoa stopped her beams, the Neuroi briefly glowed white, screamed one final scream, and exploded into fragments.

Every Neuroi left, including the other big Neuroi, converged on Makoa's position and focused all attacks on her. Makoa juked and dodged as best as she could, firing short beam bursts back at them. "I took down that first one pretty easily," she said, "but I don't have enough energy for another big attack. If I go again, I won't have enough to even fly anymore."

"Shit!" shouted Katrina, "We've got nothing else to take out that last big boy!"

"Well," said Lidiya, "I could always…sing."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that…ehehe."

"Come on, Katrina," said Lidiya, "We're in the same Team. You should remember."

"Hehehe…" Katrina hung her head apologetically, "Sorry."

"Well, I hope you've got the noise-cancellation setting on your headset turned on, 'cause that'll be the only thing keeping you from falling under my spell. Hear that, everybody? Make sure your noise-cancellation setting is turned on."

"Wait, what?" said Yoshika, who was next to Lidiya.

"Sorry, Yoshika, and I guess all of the 501st, but this is the only way to take that last big boy down."

"And just how would singing take down that last Neuroi?" asked Perrine incredulously.

"Watch," said Lidiya with a wink. Focusing her magic, she began to sing in a slow and somber manner.

 _Come my love our worlds would part,_

 _The gods will guide us across the dark._

 _Come with me and be mine my love,_

 _Stay and break my heart._

Suddenly, every member of the 501st focused their gazes on her; even the Neuroi also took notice. What they saw was a beautiful silver-haired girl whose yellow eyes seemed to glow. The 501s wondered if an angel had descended from heaven to be in their midst. The modern-day witches were unaffected because of their noise-cancelling headsets. Lidiya kept singing.

 _From the shores through the ancient mist,_

 _You bear the mark of my elven kiss._

 _Clear the way, I will take you home_

 _To eternal bliss._

As Lidiya's voice echoed across the morning sky, Yoshika and the others began to feel a warm fuzzy feeling welling up inside of them; even Trude smiled warmly. Whatever it was, it felt so good, they didn't want it to stop.

 _Far away from the land you knew,_

 _The dawn of day reaches out to you._

 _Though it feels like a fairy tale,_

 _All of this is true._

 _Run with me, have a look around._

 _We build our life over sacred ground._

 _Come my love, our worlds may part,_

 _We'll be safe and sound._

Perrine began to lose herself to this good feeling. She, like everyone else, moaned with pleasure, and her head began to feel completely numb. Everyone's eyes began to close. The modern-day witches watched in awe. _So this is her power._ Lidiya put everything she had into the last verse; somehow, this one seemed to speak to her the most.

 _Time won't follow the path we came._

 _The world you left, it forgot your name._

 _Stay with me and be mine my love,_

 _Spare my heart the pain._

When the 501s opened their eyes, they too glowed yellow, even Mio's. The witches all stared blankly at Lidiya, as if in a trance; Mio and the other Neuroi assumed a slow orbit around Lidiya.

Lidiya smiled at the witches staring at her. " _'I have bewitched you, body and soul'_ …now…Neuroi….it's time you must be destroyed. Minions, carry out my command."

All at once, Lidiya's eyes glowed red, along with the eyes of Mio and all the other witches in the 501st. The Neuroi's laser surfaces began to glow red as well, only it was the red of their laser beams.

The witches fired on the Neuroi. The Neuroi fired on each other. This time, the big Neuroi's armor couldn't withstand the onslaught; before long, all the Neuroi had been slain.

"Ah, _'parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow,'_ " Lidiya said as she broke her spell. Minna and the others' eyes stopped glowing yellow, and they all shook their heads, trying to get back into focus from the daze. "Ooooh," said Minna, "I feel very lightheaded."

"Give it a little time," said Lidiya, "The effects should wear off soon."

"Yes, ma'am," said Minna, "I mean…what?"

"What just happened?" asked Mio, "Where are the Neuroi?"

"They destroyed each other, with a little help from you all," Lidiya said.

"What?" said Heidemarie, "How?"

"I told you to."

"What the hell?!" said Trude, "Just who are you to tell us what to do? Most of us outrank you."

"I'll tell you who I am," said Lidiya, pointing a thumb at herself, "I'm a witch with Mental Manipulation abilities."

"Mental what now?" asked Erica.

"Mental Manipulation. It's my ability. My singing has always had strange effects on people, mostly making them fall asleep. Using my magic, I can use singing to take mental control over any and all who hear it, be it Neuroi or human."

"Whoa…." said Yoshika.

"That's…unsettling, to say the least," said Minna, "So you did that to your wing mates, too?"

"Oh, no," said Lidiya, "We all have a setting in our headsets that muffles outside noise, which allows us to hear our comms transmissions more clearly."

"Whoa…" said Yoshika again.

"This is a lot to take in all at once," said Shizuka.

"Yeah…you shoulda seen what happened the last time I sang….." Lidiya blushed from embarrassment upon the memory, "This has always been a problem for me….."

All of the modern-day witches grouped up with Lidiya and the 501st. "Sooooooo…." said Katya, "what happens now?"

"Well," said Anna over the comm, "Snow Goose 2-7's pilot just told me that they're running low on fuel, and repairs to the electronics are still ongoing. Whatever else that must be done cannot be done while we're still airborne."

"You're welcome to return with us to St. Trond in Belgica," said Minna.

"I'm guessing that's the closest base to here," said Anna, "I'll take you up on that offer. Thanks, Minna."

[Musical Accompaniment: "Top Gun Anthem" by Harold Faltermeyer]

They all formed up and made their way back to Snow Goose 2-7. On the way, Myah began humming a tune, familiar only to the modern-day witches. Carly was the first to catch on. "Really, Myah?" said Carly, " _Top Gun_?"

"What?" said Myah, "It's a good movie. And I've been trying to learn that song on the guitar for a while now."

Soon, they were in sight of Snow Goose 2-7. The 501s all stared in astonishment at the sheer size of the great beast of the air. Then, as if it opened up its mouth to eat them all whole, the great beast's nose and rear opened up. Perrine freaked out a little bit.

Thankfully, this beast wasn't out to eat them; instead, six more witches came flying out of the forward opening. Two them were instantly recognized by the 501st. They were joined by who the modern-day witches could recognize as Anna, Kathleen, Mariela, and Rosalina.

"Sanya! Eila!" shouted Minna with a mixture of relief, surprise, and excitement.

"Hey, everybody," said Eila, "Glad you're all safe and sound."

"I could say the same for you," said Trude, "You nearly gave us all a heart attack."

"Sorry," said Sanya.

"What kind of aircraft is that?" asked Shirley.

"It's a witch carrier," said Anna, "It's an airborne aircraft carrier designed solely for witches to operate from. A flying miniature air base."

"Whoa!" said Yoshika.

"I think the Liberian Army Air Corps was experimenting with a concept like this back in the '20s or something with airships," said Shirley.

"Yeah," said Anna, "In fact, this concept was pioneered by the Liberian Air Force back in 1991."

"You mean 'forward into the future'?" said Mariela.

"Something like that," said Anna.

Heidemarie flew up to Mariela. "Your Magic Antennae arrangement, it looks like Heinrike's."

"Who?"

"Squadron Leader Heinrike Prinzessin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein," Heidemarie clarified, "A Night Witch. Are you a Night Witch?"

"Naw," said Mariela, "I'm an Electronic Support witch, mostly specializing in ECM, or 'Electronic Countermeasures.' I jam Neuroi sensors and transmissions to prevent them from tracking allies."

"Oh, I see," said Heidemarie.

"Hold up," said Mariela, "That name sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on why…..hmmmmm…aha! That's an aircraft carrier!"

"H-her?" asked Heidemarie, shocked at Mariela's quick change of mood.

"Yeah! The _Prinzessin zu Wittgenstein_ , first ship of the Prinzessin zu Wittgenstein-class from the 80s."

"So, from the future…"

"Yep. You know what, I like you, kid. We get along well." Mariela offered her hand to Heidemarie, "Mariela Knueppel, Major, _Bundeswehr Luftwaffe_. 815th Joint Air Wing."

"I-I'm Squadron Leader Heidemarie W. Schnaufer. I just transferred into the 501st Joint Fighter Wing."

"No way, Schnaufer? As in _the_ Heidemarie Schnaufer, the best Night Ace _of all time_?"

" _J-ja."_

Mariela could barely contain her excitement. "I've looked up to witches like you for as long as I could remember! You're the reason why I left my family and joined the Luftwaffe!"

"O-oh, you left your family?"

"Yeah, well, they were the kind of family that had this idea that the whole war with the Neuroi was a big political scam to try and suck out all our tax money, and that the Neuroi are actually the good guys. They actually tried to hide my abilities from the military when I manifested. They even went as far as burning all my posters and witch-related souvenirs. A shame really….I really wanted you to sign my poster of you when I got the chance…."

"Oh, I'm…flattered." Heidemarie meant that; it did feel good to be adored every once in a while.

"Anyway, when I told them I wanted to join the Luftwaffe, they got so mad, they and all their neighbors ran me out of the neighborhood."

"Ah….that's too bad."

"Yeah….well, fuck 'em. Who needs a family like that, anyway? Disown me and run me out of my home just because I think differently…the hell's up with that?…" Mariela felt her eyes get wet; she squeezed them shut to prevent the tears from falling, but they came out anyway.

Heidemarie didn't exactly know what to do, so she gingerly placed a hand on Mariela's shoulder, bringing her in for a small hug.

"Thanks, I needed that," said Mariela, wiping her eyes, "I honestly don't hate my family. Just everything they stand for. To be completely honest, I really miss them."

"I'm sure that deep down, they feel the same way," said Heidemarie.

"Hey, uh, I hate to break the mood here," said Azalea, "But I just realized that we might have a bit of a problem on our hands."

"What's that?" asked Katya.

"How exactly are we gonna land that big An-225 on a runway designed for smaller aircraft?"

Every single witch's eyes widened at the realization, and they all turned their gaze towards Snow Goose 2-7. _Uh…oh…_

* * *

0823 Hours, Same day

St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

Lynette Bishop worked alone in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everyone in the 501st. She didn't sortie out with the rest of them. Turning around to place the pan she was grabbing onto the stove, the reason for that became clear.

A prominent bulge dominated her belly, and her already-generous bust had swollen up, to the point where she nearly outclassed Shirley herself. Lynne stepped back, massaging her head to ease her headache, which has been bothering her since she woke up. This pregnancy was really taking its toll on her. Thankfully, whatever hardships she'd been enduring during the past few months have subsided. _At least,_ she thought, _the morning sickness is gone._

Suddenly, the alarm klaxon began to sound, and the base went on high alert; the alarm's pattern seemed to suggest a crash alert. Fire, crash, and medical crews were readied and deployed out onto the airfield; the base was abuzz with activity once more. Lynne turned off the stove and ran outside. _Oh, if only Yoshika were here. We wouldn't have to worry about casualties…_

About seven minutes later, low rumbles were heard from the north. Lynne thought she could just hear the sounds of her friends' Striker engines amongst the rumble. Her speculations were soon proven true when they appeared over the horizon. And they've brought company. A lot of company. About 19 other witches joined them, along with a huge whale-looking airplane. With these mysterious arrivals came a great deal of noise.

Lynne gawks in astonishment. So did everyone else present. The witches came in to land, while the great big plane circled around the field. Lynne, unfazed by her headache and back pain, ran to her friends and the new arrivals. Yoshika notices her and waves her over.

"Hey, Lynne-chan," she said, "There's someone you should meet here. Gracie-san, could you come over here please?"

One of the new arrivals came over to them, straightening out a black baseball cap on her head. This girl, apparently named "Gracie", gave Lynne the once over. "Wow, Yoshika really did knock you up."

Another witch, who looks like an older Yoshika, elbows Gracie in the rib. "Ouch!" said Gracie.

"Hey, that's no way to treat your elder," said the Yoshika-lookalike.

 _Elder?!_ Lynne thinks to herself.

Rubbing her rib, Gracie said, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Ahem, name's Gracie Bishop. I'm a Commander in the Fleet Air Arm. I'm your great-granddaughter." Gracie offers her hand.

Lynne shakes Gracie's hand. She then turned to the older Yoshika-lookalike. "I take it that you're related to Yoshika? Your name patch does have 'Miyafuji' on it."

The older Yoshika-lookalike smiled softly. "Well," she said, "You're partially right. I'm a descendant of the Miyafuji _and_ Hattori family lines."

Shizuka and Yoshika looked at Ayumi and then at each other, wide-eyed. "Eh-?"

Ayumi smiled again, saying, "Uh, I think I've said too much."

"And, right now," said Gracie, "We've got bigger problems to address. Quite literally." They all look up at the big plane in still orbiting the airfield.

Suddenly, another witch speaks up. "Guys, I have an idea."

"What is it, Myah?" says another.

"An idea to get the Mriya on the ground. You might not like it. Then again, you might."

"Sounds dangerous. I don't like it!"

"Hear me out first, before you bunk it."

"…Okay, go on."

"Here's the plan. Evy, you use your Gravitation Manipulation ability, and Katrina, you use your Telekinesis. Both of you will slow the plane down so it won't crash into the other end."

"What about the crew?"

"To ensure the safety of the crew, the rest of us are gonna have to airlift them off, along with the ordnance and ammunition. The pilot and co-pilot, of course, will have to stay aboard to continue flying."

"Hmmmmmmm," said a red-haired witch, who Lynne thought looked like Minna, "It is indeed dangerous, but the plan might work. Mariela, would you please relay the plan to the Snow Goose 2-7 crew. The rest of you, get back airborne and prepare to offload the crew, ordnance, and ammunition. No need to bring anything else with you, just your Strikers."

"Understood," said the new witches.

"Anna, let us help you," said Minna, "It will get the job done more quickly that way."

"We need all the help we can get, Minna. Thanks."

All the new arrivals taxied back out to the runway, and took off once more. Mariela got on the comm again, "Snow Goose 2-7, be advised. We've got a plan to get you safely on the ground. Here's what's gonna happen, we're all gonna land inside and airlift you all, plus the ordnance and ammo, off the plane. Then, from there, Evy and Katrina are gonna bring you down with their magic abilities. Got all that?"

"Roger that, Wandering Star. Opening up the flight deck."

The big Snow Goose 2-7 opened up its nose and tail again, and the witches began to line up to land inside. Once they came in, each one grabbed a crewmember and quickly took off again. Then, they landed, dropped off their charge, turned around, and took off again. This process continued, until every crewmember, weapon, and crate of ammunition was offloaded to the ground. Finally, it was time to land the big plane.

Evelyn and Katrina jumped out of their Strikers and ran out to the end of the runway. Giving Anna the thumbs-up, they fused with their familiars again. Anna gave the all-clear message to Snow Goose 2-7, "Okay, Snow Goose 2-7, you are go for final approach."

"Roger, Uberfraun." The pilot banked the An-225 Mriya over to line up on the runway.

"2 miles to touchdown," Miki said, tracking the Mriya on her Hawkeye's radar. Evy and Katrina held out their hands.

"1 mile to touchdown." A glowing blue outline formed around the Mriya as Evy and Katrina focused their abilities.

"500 feet to touchdown." Everyone started to tense up.

"400 feet…300 feet…200 feet…100 feet…Touchdown. _Kuso!_ He touched down late. He's only got about half the runway until he hits the end." The pilot dropped the flaps, airbrakes, and thrust reversers; applying more power into the reversed engines, the Mriya began to roar loudly.

"2500 feet until the end." The Mriya wasn't showing any signs of slowing down.

"2000 feet until end." Still the Mriya lumbered forth.

"1800 feet….1600 feet….1400 feet….1200 feet….1000 feet….." Evy and Katrina squeezed their eyes shut.

"900..." Finally, the Mriya began to show signs of slowing down.

"800….700…600…..500…400…..300…200…" Slowing down, slower, slower, but still moving. It towered over Evy and Katrina. Minna and Anna feared they would get flattened.

"Evelyn, Katrina, get out of there!" shouted Minna.

"You heard the lady, get out of the way!" shouted Anna.

"No," said Evelyn, "We've got this!"

"100…80…..60…..40…..20….10….5…4….3….2…1….." The Mriya crept forward and just kissed Evy and Katrina right on face. They opened their eyes slowly. They looked at the big plane right in their faces, and then looked at each other. They began to laugh quietly. Gradually, their laughter intensified until they were holding their sides and guffawing.

[Musical Accompaniment: "Top Gun Anthem" by Harold Faltermeyer]

"We did it, Evy!" said Katrina.

"Yes! Yes we did!" said Evy.

Everyone else came running towards them, laughing and cheering jubilantly. The scene could be likened to a sports team cheering after winning a huge championship, or Mission Control after a success. Evy and Katrina were hoisted into the air, sitting on the shoulders of their friends and comrades.

"YAHOOO!" shouted Katrina, "WE DID IIIIIIIIIT!"

"HELL YEAH, YOU DID!" shouted Frederica.

[End Musical Accompaniment]

* * *

0900 Hours, Same day

St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

Since Lynne found herself having to cook for nearly twice as many people as she was expecting, Yoshika, Shizuka, and even some of the new arrivals helped cook breakfast as well. They were found to be capable cooks, and breakfast was especially delicious; they even had enough extra to offer to the Mriya's crew, who gladly accepted. All the witches sat together, swapping stories about various things. It was then that the 501st witches learned about the time-traveling incident, and how their descendants got here.

After a while, Makoa pulled Addy aside. "Hey," she said, "Uh, should we make any mention about my, uh, condition to these guys?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't know exactly how they would take something like that," said Addy, "I've been talking with a lot of the 501st girls, and most of their stories involve a lot of tragedy by Neuroi hands. I think that for now, the best course of action is to only tell Minna, Mio, and Yoshika. Minna and Mio, I guess, are the CO and XO of the 501st, and Yoshika is the healer witch."

"Good idea. Let's go tell 'em."

Makoa and Addy walked over to Minna. "Hey, Minna," said Makoa, "There's something Addy and I must talk to you about. Could you get Mio and Yoshika, too?"

"O-okay," Minna was curious and surprised as to why it must only be talked about with those specific people.

"You know somewhere more private?" asked Makoa.

"We can go to my office," said Minna.

"Perfect."

Minna grabbed Mio and Yoshika and led the way to her office. Closing the door, Makoa and Addy asked her to lock it, so she did. "So," stared Minna, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"And why does it require all this secrecy?" asked Mio.

Makoa and Addy looked at each other, and then Makoa stepped forward. Clearing her throat, she said, "Uh, remember the time when I shot that big Neuroi down with my Magic Beams?"

"Oh, yes," said Yoshika, "It was pretty cool."

"Thanks," said Makoa, "Anyway, did you notice how one of those beams was colored differently?"

"Yes," said Minna, "As a matter of fact, I did."

"Well…." Makoa paused, trying to find the right way to break the news, "That arm is actually different from the other one. See?" She held up her arms, showing her bandage and the markings.

"That's an intricate tattoo," said Minna.

"They're not tattoos. They're magic symbols. These glow when I charge up a beam. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. See how the markings on my right arm are different from the other?"

"Yes," said Mio, "The markings on your right arm are hexagonal in shape, almost like a Neuroi. So what? At the most, it's just out of regulations to have a tattoo. So why are we here? Why only tell us?"

"It's not that simple," said Makoa as she unwrapped Kaminari's bandage; it wasn't glowing blue anymore, for the infused magic had run out. "This is why we wanted to tell only you three." With the bandage now off, Makoa covered her Neuroi infection with her other hand and looked to Addy.

"Promise me you won't freak out about this," said Addy.

"We promise," said Minna.

Addy looked to Makoa and nodded. Makoa took a deep breath, and removed her hand from over her forearm. She and Addy took notice at the expanded area that it covered. "It has spread more now from the last time I looked at it," she said.

Minna, Mio, and Yoshika stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what they were seeing. There, on Makoa's forearm, was a group of 20 small shiny black hexagons. They looked like they were about to shout out, "Wait, what?!" But they were stopped from doing so when Makoa looked at them pleadingly and said, "Please don't freak out."

They closed their mouths, and went back to staring at Makoa's mark. "What…..is that?" asked Minna.

"It's a Neuroi Infection," said Makoa.

"A…Neuroi…..what?" said Yoshika.

"Impossible…." said Mio, "That can't be real."

"A Neuroi Infection," repeated Addy, "And it's completely possible and real."

"But…how?" said Minna.

Makoa laid out her story. "Back before I joined the 815th, I was sent on a mission, which turned into a drawn-out fight with some Neuroi fighters. After a while, I ran out of missiles and gun ammo, and I felt low on magic, too. But there were still Neuroi in the air, so I mustered up all I could for one more Magic Beam, and I destroyed the last of the Neuroi. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough for a strong shield. So when the Neuroi shards went flying, one embedded itself right there in my forearm."

"Oh my…." said Yoshika, "Is it curable?" At that, she fused with her familiar and tried to apply healing magic.

"We've already tried that," said Addy, "but all attempts only slowed the spread of the infection."

"Yes," said Makoa somberly, "I'm afraid it's only a matter of time until it completely overtakes my body. I've never met one person who'd been able to resist the effects, much less be cured altogether. That's how the Neuroi grow their numbers in the time we come from. We don't fight just the Neuroi anymore…"

"That's…." said Yoshika.

"The Neuroi truly are heinous life forms," said Mio, "If they even are life forms."

"It's not fun, I can tell you that," said Makoa, "But I try to keep optimistic. Sometimes, I wonder if I'll get the regeneration those bastards are so notorious for. Anyway, what do you think I should do? Would it be wise to let the others in the 501st know?"

"Well….." Minna thought about that for a while, "I feel like you all are going to be here for a pretty long time, so I think it would be best to do that."

"I agree with the Wing Commander on this one," said Mio.

"In the meantime, I can apply healing magic from time to time to stave off the outcome," said Yoshika, "And I can even try to come up with a cure or something."

Makoa smiled. "Thanks, Yoshika. It means a lot."

"I'd be willing to help in that endeavor," said Addy.

"Thank you," said Yoshika.

"Well," said Makoa, "Let's go break the news to the others then, shall we?"

"Yes, let's go," said Mio.

* * *

Just a few minutes later…

[Musical Accompaniment: "Argue for and Against" from Touhou 10.5: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody OST (Preferably an extended version)]

"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" every 501st witch shouted at the same time.

"A Neuroi Infection," said Makoa. She began to lay out her story again.

"That's terrible," said Lynne.

"Is that why you were asking me if I'd been hit with Neuroi fragments?" Perrine asked Addy.

"Yes," said Addy, "Which reminds me…" Addy walked over to Perrine. "…Lemme finish fixing your wound."

Perrine gave Addy her hand, and Addy removed the bandage, fused with her familiar again, and applied healing magic. In no time, the wound was healed up. "Thank you," said Perrine.

"You're most welcome," said Addy.

"Ay, this day has been too much," said Erica, "First, we fight some Neuroi, then we meet our descendants, then we find out that they time-traveled, and now we find out that one of you guys are _Neuroi-infected?_ I need to sleep… _"_

"You and me both," said Azalea.

"Eh?" said Trude, "You can't be serious. It's still only morning. A soldier of Karlsland can never be so laid-back; they must be alert. The Neuroi could show up anytime. What's going to happen if they do, and you're asleep?"

"I kinda agree with Trude on this one," said Frederica, "Though, a nap does sound tempting."

Trude looked at Frederica, a bit stunned. "Did you just…agree with me?"

"Uh, yeah," said Frederica, "It does kinda make sense, since it's still morning. However, this morning has been quite exhausting."

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" asked Evy, "We've got a full day ahead of us. What do you say about drills?"

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" asked Mariela.

"What else do you expect us to do all day?" said Evy, "Plus, it would help the 501st come up with some ways to combat faster Neuroi. You know what I mean?"

"W-well," Heidemarie started, "You're all still pretty unfamiliar with the base. Why don't we at least tour you around? To get you familiar with the area?"

"I'd like that," said Anna.

"Then it's settled," said Minna, "Let's give you a tour of the place. Then, we can do practice drills."

With a plan laid out, everyone got up to leave. But first…

"Need a lift, Eliza?" asked Ayumi.

"Sure," said Eliza. She climbed up upon Ayumi's shoulders.

Gracie looked at them. "I suppose you'd like a ride, too?" she said to Azalea.

"Hell yes, please," said Azalea. She climbed up on Gracie's shoulders.

"Ehe, you four look cute," said Yoshika.

"Well, they say I have been known to melt hearts," said Eliza, puffing herself up.

"Can we just go?" said Azalea, "I'm about to fall asleep." With that, everyone set off.

The base proved to be pretty large; aside from the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, there were various other Karlslander Luftwaffe air groups here. The modern-day arrivals were greatly impressed with the efficiency at which the Karlslanders of 1945; it was comparable to the way things were run back in 2015. Or is it forward in 2015? Time travel was really confusing. Then again, nobody, not even the modern-day arrivals, thought that time travel was more than simply science fiction.

Of course, the group of witches and Orussian aircrew didn't receive their fair share of odd looks; the modern uniforms looked different from uniforms the other base residents were familiar with, and then there were the two short witches riding atop two taller witches' shoulders. On top of that, one of the small witches had fallen asleep on her rider's head.

"Oy! Azalea, did you fall asleep on my head _again?_ " said Gracie, "I guess that means…" Gracie proceeded to tickle Azalea, waking her up in a flash.

In pure unladylike fashion, Azalea fell into a great fit of snorts and chortles, nearly falling off of Gracie's shoulders. When she finally caught her breath, she adjusted her SF Giants baseball cap and said, "That was messed up, Gracie. Hella messed up, man!"

"Do you recall the last time you fell asleep on my head?" asked Gracie, "You drooled all over my hat. You don't call that 'hella messed up?'"

"Shoot, got me there," said Azalea, "Sorry about that…"

"Azalea, you ought to learn to control your sleeping habits," said Eliza, "Like me. Unlike you, I don't fall asleep everywhere."

Ayumi smiled. "I wouldn't go as far as to say that, Ms. 'Let's Fall Asleep and Spill Our Melted Ice Cream on Ayumi's Cover!'"

Eliza's eyes widened. She turned red.

* * *

After they finished touring the base, the 501st and their descendants did a few training drills; having already used a good-sized portion of their magic, the descendants were extremely tired afterwards.

Before they all headed to the showers, Addy came to Lynne. "Hey, uh, Lynne, I've been curious about your pregnancy. How long has it been since you've found out?"

Lynne thought about that for a little bit. "Well…I, um, found out about June."

Addy rubbed her chin. "Hmmm…it being late October…that would put you about your 2nd Trimester. And your breasts have already begun to enlarge. Tell me, have you been experiencing any backaches, headaches, bleeding gums, or congestion?"

"I've been getting backaches and headaches mostly. But no bleeding gums or congestion. Should I be concerned?"

"No no no. That's actually okay." Addy checked her magic level meter. "I still have some magic left. Do you mind if I run a body scan?"

"Body scan?" asked Lynne, slightly apprehensive.

"It's fine. It'll be like an ultrasound, just without all the equipment."

"What's an ultrasound?" By now, everyone had gathered around them, and the 501st witches were wondering the same thing.

"An ultrasound is where we scan the surface of the womb to check on the baby inside. It uses a form of sonar. With it, a doctor can determine the health, sex, and number of babies inside the mother. With my body scan, I can do the same thing, without all of that bulky equipment. So, Lynne, if you don't mind, would you lift up your shirt, so I can get a clearer reading?"

"Um…okay…" Lynne anxiously lifted her shirt just enough to expose her belly. Addy placed her blue-glowing hands upon it, running them slowly up and down. It felt kind of soothing; Lynne closed her eyes. Addy also closed her eyes, but in concentration. Suddenly, her eyes snapped wide open.

"Oh my…" she managed.

"What? What is it?" asked Lynne nervously.

Addy took a deep breath. "Lynne….it appears that you are carrying….two twin girls."

Lynne gasped. "…I have…twins?"

Frederica brought her closed hands up to the sides of her head and quickly opened them, while simultaneously making an explosion sound effect. And then, everyone's souls ascended into some other plane of existence and shouted "Wait, what?!" at each other and nobody at all at the same time. Their physical bodies stared wide-eyed at Addy and Lynne.

After much extra-dimensional shouting, everyone returned to this plane of existence. Still, nobody could quite believe what they just heard.

"Twins? Seriously?" said Gracie.

"Are you sure you did that body scan thing correctly?" asked Perrine.

"Come on, why are you always the one doubting my medical know-how?" protested Addy.

Yoshika simply stood there, wide-eyed. "….twins…"

"This has been a really…eventful day," said Shizuka, "I…really some sleep. I'm, uh, going to the showers now. Ehe….hehe…" With that, she scooted away.

* * *

2000 Hours, Same day

501st Barracks, St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

The late night sky was clear over the sleeping St. Trond. By now, the Mriya crew had brought the plane off the runway and near the 501st's hangar and offloaded all of the witches' equipment and belongings and put them in the hangar. Since the 501st had no extra accommodations in their barracks, the descendants took the living room, laying sheets out on the couches and floor.

Standing outside, Lynne watched as she saw the night witches take off for their patrol; Sanya was joined by Eila, her usual companion, while Heidemarie was partnered with Mariela, who'd asserted that she had more than enough magic for the task. Lynne smiled.

Mariela was quite the character; despite being a Karlslander witch in the Luftwaffe, she by no means fit that kind of mold. She gave off a sort of troublemaker vibe, or one who didn't follow rules very well. Quite an interesting person who would find a role-model in Heidemarie, who, like most Karlslanders Lynne knew, kept very close to the rules despite her quiet demeanor. _I get the feeling that the two would make quite a friendship,_ she thought to herself.

"So, can't sleep either, huh?" said a voice behind her, "It's alright. Considering the day we've been having, I don't think I'd be able to sleep either."

Lynne turned around with a start. It was Gracie; instead of her uniform, she was wearing an odd hooded jacket. "You startled me," she said.

"Sorry," said Gracie. She walked over to Lynne's side.

Lynne looked back at the stars. "It has been quite a day."

"You could say that again," said Gracie.

Lynne wondered why she would need to, but she did it anyway. "It has been quite a day."

Gracie looked at her. "No, I meant…never mind."

They both looked at the stars in silence. Gracie spoke up again, "The sky is very beautiful here. You can see more stars here than in London."

"Do you think so?" asked Lynne.

"Yeah….kinda makes you wonder if there's life out there."

"Well, there's the Neuroi."

"Yeah, I know that. I meant, like, nicer life forms. Like us. Or…Jedi…or something…"

"What's a Jedi?"

Gracie looked at Lynne questioningly. "Oh yeah, that's right, this is 1945. _Star Wars_ won't come out until, like, 30 or so years from now."

"What's _Star Wars_?" asked Lynne curiously.

"Only one of the greatest movie franchises of all time!"

"Oh."

Gracie appeared to be thinking about something. "You know," she said, "I think we might have the movies in the Mriya. Wanna watch it?"

Lynne thought about it for a while; figuring that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all anymore, she accepted.

"Great, let's go," said Gracie with a smile.

As they made their way to the plane, Lynne finally asked a question that weighed heavily on her mind up until now. "Um, Gracie, I've been wondering, why do you wear that worn-out hat? Is it part of your uniform?"

"My hat? No," said Gracie, "This hat was my father's."

"Was?" asked Lynne, "Wouldn't it still be?"

"It would," said Gracie, "If he wasn't dead…"

Lynne gasped. "Oh…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…."

"It's fine," assured Gracie, "It's been almost eight years since it happened. It's how I got this scar." Gracie ran her hand down the right side of her face, and began to tell the story. "It was July 7th, 2005, just a week after my seventh birthday. Dad, Mum, my older brother, and I were all going out for a day at the park. We planned to hop on the Underground, and then walk the rest of the way. Once we got our tickets, we headed to our station and waited for the train to come.

"That's when we noticed a couple of blokes acting strangely. Suddenly, they opened up their jackets, displaying a Neuroi bomb, and blew themselves up. I was pretty close to the explosion. My family was even closer. The blast burned my face, and killed my family. This burnt-out hat, this hair ribbon, and this jacket are all I've got left of them.

"From that point, I lived out my days as a street urchin, fighting, begging, and stealing my way to a living. One day, I made the mistake of trying to mug an RAF witch, and she gave me a clobbering. Then, she decided to take me in. I cleaned up my act, joined the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and here I am."

Lynne didn't know what to say. Before she could think of anything, they already made it to the plane. Thankfully, the ramps were still left open, and Gracie led Lynne up the spiral staircase. Lynne took a look around the lounge and noted how spacious and nice it looked.

"Sit down on the couch," said Gracie, "I'll be right over with some popcorn."

Lynne sat down on the couch facing a huge flat screen that she could only guess was a television from the future. Hearing a few beeps and a hum, she wondered what Gracie was doing in the galley. Gracie came out, grabbed a couple odd button-covered gadgets, and pointed them at the large television; the television flipped on, showing some sort of menu. "Nice," said Gracie, "Looks like they left it in from last time."

Hearing a ding from the galley, Gracie went over, and returned with a bowl of buttery-smelling popcorn. Lynne suddenly began to really crave popcorn. Grabbing a blanket, Gracie shut off the lights, sat down next to Lynne, covered them both in the blanket, and said, "Now, get ready to get your mind blown." She hit a button on the gadget, and the screen went dark.

After a display of "20th Century Fox" and "LucasArts", the screen showed the words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…."

Suddenly, the room filled with the sounds of fanfare as the words "Star Wars" appeared on the screen shrinking amongst a field of stars. Gracie was right, Lynne's mind was blown.

Next came the episode's name, "A New Hope." Lynne thought that sounded like a nice name. Finally, the title roll began: "It is a period of civil war. Rebel ships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire…"

 **[End of Chapter 7]**

 _So. What say you? Thumbs-up? Thumbs-down? Meh? Also, I messed up in the previous chapters; you see, while I was working on this chapter, I watched the Operation Victory Arrow episodes, and I noticed that St. Trond is NOT in Karlsland as I initially assumed. It's in Belgica. So, I made the changes in the other chapters, and reposted them. Problem is, I took down the chapters, redid them in Microsoft Word, and then reposted them, completely forgetting the header and footer notes. So, they don't have these things anymore! GAH! Anyway, I have a question for you all. It's not worth a poll, but I'd like to see what you think:_

 _What if Remilia Scarlet from_ Touhou _met the Scarlet Witch from_ The Avengers: Age of Ultron _?_

 _Post your thoughts and answers in your Review._

 _References:_

 _Shoot to Thrill belongs to the band ACDC._

' _Til next time, yo!_

Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks


	8. Chapter 8: Touch the Sky

_Allo! Check it, I'm off hiatus now! So sit back, relax, and enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Touch the Sky**

0630 Hours, October 23, 1945

St. Trond Air Base, Belgica

The sun began to just peek out over the horizon. Its rays shone down upon a certain Fusan Imperial Navy officer doing some training exercises in some woods outside. Even though she'd lost her magic just a few months before, Mio remained in the Navy, and even transferred herself back into the 501st when Minna called for its reestablishment. She had not lost a single bit of her spirit, and she felt that keeping close to young witches like Shizuka and even Yoshika once again would help her keep an eye on them.

And speaking of Shizuka…here she came. Shizuka was a student of Mio's from the Academy, and she displayed great potential to become a remarkable witch. Shizuka also held a great admiration for Yoshika; she aspired to become a witch just like her. Mio thought that was all well and good…up until they met Junior Admiral Miyafuji Ayumi, who turned out to be a descendant of both of them, and found out that Lynne was carrying twins. For the rest of yesterday, they'd been acting slightly awkward towards each other; they avoided looking at each other and whenever they did, their faces and moods would suddenly change. And Mio could swear that she'd notice a faint blush rising up on their faces when they looked away.

Mio decided not to inquire any further on the matter. She wasn't exactly experienced in such matters, so she didn't know what to say or how to approach it. So, Shizuka silently joined Mio in her exercises, and the two continued this way in silence.

"Lynne-chan! Lynne-chan!" Yoshika's voice echoed faintly from the direction of the airfield, and she and Perrine appeared on the pathway. "Oh, good morning, Sakamoto-san, Shizuka-chan…" Yoshika discreetly looked away for a brief second.

"Have you seen Lynne?" asked Perrine, "She wasn't in her room."

"No, we haven't seen Lynne around here," said Mio, "What about you, Shizuka?"

"I haven't seen Lynne-san, either," said Shizuka.

"Oh, okay. Let's keep looking, Perrine-san." Yoshika and Perrine turn around and leave.

Perrine could just be heard exasperatedly saying, "Honestly, what is that girl thinking? Now's not the time to be running off like this."

Once they'd gone, Mio resumed her exercises. She noticed that Shizuka did not join her this time, instead watching Yoshika and Perrine leave with a pensive look. This time, Mio decided to inquire, "Something on your mind, Shizuka?"

Shizuka snapped back into focus, "Hm? Ah, no, no. It's nothing. Ehehe…" She rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "A-anyway, maybe we should help them look for Lynne-san."

"Okay," said Mio. Something really was going on here, and Mio was going to get to the bottom of it. Whatever it was, anyway.

Even despite the combined efforts of Yoshika, Perrine, Shizuka, and Mio, Lynne was still nowhere to be found, and they soon ran out of options. Yoshika sat in tired defeat, "Aw, where could she be? This is not good."

"How about we check that big aircraft over there?" Shizuka suggested.

Perrine sighed, "Normally, I'd say that's a stupid idea, but since we've checked everywhere else without success, let's just go."

The four went over to the Mriya, which still had its rear ramp open. They walked up the ramp, and had their minds blown for probably the millionth time since the future witches arrived from, well, the future. The gargantuan interior and deck was arranged like the flight and hangar deck of an aircraft carrier; however, all of the equipment that would have been lined up against the sides was now in the hangar, making the flight deck appear even larger. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the size of this thing," said Yoshika.

"Yeah," said Shizuka.

Faint music could be heard from up some spiral staircase nearby. At the top, they found themselves in a dark nice-looking lounge area illuminated only by a large moving picture display. Mio, Shizuka, Perrine, and Yoshika's first thought was that it was a projection on a screen, but that idea was bunked once they could not find the projector. That's not taking anything away from the quality of whatever was showing. None of them had ever such clear pictures before! It was almost as if they were there, looking out of a window, witnessing whatever epic battle was unfolding before them. At the bottom of this other-worldly window were the words "Play, Scene Selection, Bonus Features, and Settings". "Just what exactly is this?" asked Perrine.

Before anyone could answer, Shizuka spotted a pair of girls on the couch facing the display screen. They were asleep wrapped in a blanket, with their heads leaning peacefully on each other; it was Lynne and Gracie. "I found Lynne-san," said Shizuka.

"Lynne-chan!" said Yoshika, turning to look in the direction Shizuka pointed out.

Lynne and Gracie stirred and woke up. As if they choreographed it together, both girls yawned and stretched in perfect sync. "Ah, good morning," Lynne said sleepily.

"Geez, just what in the world were you two doing in here?" asked Perrine, "You had us all worried."

"Ah, sorry," Lynne apologized, "We were up all night watching these movies called _Star Wars_. We didn't sleep until around 2 in the morning." She removed the blanket and attempted to stand. Gracie got up first and helped her up.

" _Star Wars_?" said Yoshika, Perrine, Mio, and Shizuka.

"Yep," said Gracie, "They're movies from the 70s and 80s."

"Eh~….?" Yoshika said.

"70s and 80s, as in 1970s and 1980s?" asked Shizuka.

"Uh-huh," said Gracie, "Although, the prequel trilogy came out in the early 2000s. We just watched the original trilogy last night, and they're coming out with an Episode VII in December of my time."

"2015?" asked Perrine.

"Yeah."

"Ah, so future stuff then," said Yoshika.

"I must ask, will you being here change the course of history?" asked Mio.

Gracie rubbed her chin. "Hmmmm, I wouldn't think so. Since we traveled into the past, wouldn't it mean that the incident already happened? So, basically, we're making history right now."

"That's a pretty complicated concept to make sense of," said Mio.

"Yeah, picked it up from a TV show I like to watch," said Gracie.

"TV? Is that something from the future, too?" asked Perrine.

"Yes, ma'am," said Gracie.

"Ah, I almost forgot, I have to prepare breakfast," said Yoshika.

"I'll help you," said Lynne.

"Not at all miss," said Gracie, "Best course of action for you right now is not to strain yourself. You're carrying twins, remember?"

"But," protested Lynne.

"I agree with Gracie," said Perrine, "You mustn't work too yourself too hard. Let us handle breakfast today, okay?"

"O….okay," said Lynne.

With that, Gracie grabbed her yellow ribbon, ponytailed her hair, and put on her cap. "Shall we?" she said.

"Let's go," said Mio.

On their way back to the barracks, Perrine walked up next to Gracie and asked, "So why do you wear such a worn-out hat? Is it part of your uniform?"

"This hat was my dad's," said Gracie, "And this yellow ribbon was my mum's, and this jacket was my little brother's. These are all I've got left of them. They were killed by human-Neuroi terrorists."

"Human-Neuroi terrorists?" asked Yoshika.

"Humans who have either sided with the Neuroi, succumbed to their Neuroi infections, or fell victim to Neuroi brainwashing and mind-control."

"Oh my…." Yoshika was taken aback, "They do that? They actually do that?"

"That must explain why Makoa-san is bothered by her infection," said Mio.

"Yeah," said Gracie, running her hand over her scar, "The Neuroi are complete and total bastards."

"You got that right," said Shizuka.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Back in the 501st building

Most of the modern-day witches were awake and in uniform. They all had MRE bags, and looked ready to open them up and partake of the wondrous goodies within. However, they decided to wait awhile. Soon, the 501st JFW witches began trickling in. Sanya, Eila, Heidemarie, and Mariela just returned from night patrol, so they looked extremely tired. Amirah came next, taking a seat next to her great-granddaughter Katrina; she smelled like cigarettes, but it wasn't too bad. Last to show up were Minna, Trude, and Erica; Erica was rubbing sleep from her eyes, and Trude was lecturing her about something or other. Minna was smiling brightly, ready to start the new day and whatever challenges it had in store. She looked around, and noticed that some people were missing. "Where are Mio, Perrine, Yoshika, Shizuka, and Lynne? I don't see Gracie here, either."

Miki spoke up, "I think I saw _o bāchan,_ Perrine, Yoshika, and Shizuka going inside the Mriya this morning while I was hanging out on the roof."

"How did you get up on the roof?" asked Minna.

Miki held up her arms and showed off her prized wrist-mounted grappling hook shooters. "I'm really good at parkour, _da-ze_. Plus, these help out a lot."

"Hm."

Mio, Shizuka, Perrine, Yoshika, Lynne, and Gracie entered the dining hall, talking about the original trilogy of _Star Wars._ "Hey, everyone," said Gracie, "Top of the morning. I mean, good morning."

"Where'd ya go, Gracie?" asked Katrina.

"I showed Lynne _Star Wars_ last night."

"Oh yeah? Which ones?"

"The original trilogy. IV, V, and VI."

"The best ones."

Azalea leaned back in her chair. "I was hella stoked to watch Episode VII when it came out in December. I even went and pre-ordered my ticket. Looks like I won't get the chance to watch it anymore."

"Aw, that's too bad," said Ayumi, "Well, at least we've got the complete main saga here."

"Yeah, I guess it's not so bad," said Azalea, "Ah, I almost forgot." She gets out of her chair, goes out the door, and returns with an MRE bag. Whistling at Gracie, she says, "Yo! Heads-up." She tossed the MRE bag, and Gracie caught it.

"Thanks," said Gracie.

"What's that?" asked Yoshika.

"It's…uh…'Chicken with Noodles and Vegetables'…I think. That's what the label says. Hey, mine even has a flameless heating pack. It's an MRE, which officially stands for 'Meals Ready to Eat.'"

"Yeah," said Makoa, "But we like call 'um 'Meals we Refuse to Eat' or…"

All the other modern-days present joined in for this last one, "'Meals Refused by the Enemy!'" After that, they all burst into laughter.

The joke seemed to sail right over the heads of the 501st witches, especially Yoshika. She appeared very concerned. "Well, I can't stand for you all eating food that you'll refuse to eat. How about I make you some real breakfast?"

"Sounds like a good idea," said Katya, "What do you think, Anna?"

"I'm sure that it would be a lot better than…'Vegetable Lasagna,'" said Anna, "Alrighty, everyone, go ahead and put away your MREs."

"Yes ma'am." All the modern-day witches got up out of their chairs and put away their MRE packs.

"Hey, Yoshika-san, mind if I help you out?" asked Ayumi.

"Ah, no need, Ayumi-san," said Yoshika, "You are our guests. Let me handle this."

"Aw, come on. I can handle myself in the kitchen," said Ayumi, "I'm a wife and mother, after all."

"I'll bet it's because she's afraid we might cook a meal we'll refuse to eat," said DJ.

"D'ahahahahaha!" laughed Lidiya, "Seriously though, let us help. Just tell us what to do, and we'll get it done."

"Don't worry about it, Lidiya-san," said Yoshika, "I will handle it, everyone."

"Well….okay. But only if you let us handle dinner tonight. Deal?"

"Uh, deal." Yoshika and Ayumi shook hands.

As Yoshika, Shirley, and Lucchini prepared breakfast, the others looked for ways to occupy themselves; the dining room began to buzz with chatter.

Amidst this buzz, Gracie began quietly humming a song. At first, no one else noticed; but then, conversation died down enough to where people began to notice. She stopped. "No, no, keep going," urged DJ, "In fact…." She leaned in closer to Gracie's ear to tell her the next tidbit quietly, "Remember what we did for that one Open Mic Night a couple months back? Let's do that."

Gracie brightened up; she nodded. She began to start humming again, this time with DJ joining in after a couple measures; as soon as she did, the others realized exactly what she and DJ were planning. Anna leaned over and nudged Minna, "Get ready. This is gonna amaze you." Katrina then joined in, humming a different melody. Next came Kathleen, humming a harmony. Then, Myah came in with another melody. Finally, Addy put in some lyrics, and Gracie changed from humming to doing a simple cymbal beat, while Makoa and Mariela joined in the harmony.

 _Oh, her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining._

 _Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her tryin._

 _She's so beautiful. And I tell her everyday._

Azalea began to sing the lyrics to another song, joining in with Addy.

 _Uh, Uh, I was thinkin' bout her, thinkin' bout me, thinkin' bout us, what we gonna be_

 _(I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me.)_

 _Opened my eyes, and it was only just a dream._

 _(It's so, it's so, sad to think that she can't see what I see.)_

 _(But every time she asks me "do I look okay", you know I'll say)_

 _It was only just a dream._

DJ stopped her original humming, and harmonized with Azalea, while Rosalina began harmonizing with Addy.

 _When I see your face,_

 _(So I traveled back down that road, will she come back, no one knows.)_

 _There's not a thing that I would change. Cause you're amazing, just the way you are._

 _(I realized, it was only just a dream. it was only just a dream)_

Now, they all began stepping and clapping a rhythm, stepping the song up a bit.

 _When I see your face,_

 _(So I traveled back down that road will she come back, no one knows.)_

 _There's not a thing that I would change. Cause you're amazing, just the way you are._

 _(I realized, it was only just a dream. it was only just a dream)_

 _When I see your face_

 _(Face)_

And just like that, they were done. Lidiya and the 413th witches applauded and cheered; the 501st sat in amazed silence, before slowly joining in the applause.

"You were right, Anna," said Minna, "That was pretty astounding."

"More where that came from, miss," said Kathleen, "Ah mean, we ain't called the Musician Witches fer nuthin'."

"Musician Witches?"

"Yep. The 815th Joint Air Wing. Didn't ya notice the patch on our uniforms?"

"So that's what those were," said Eila.

"Uh-huh. It's SOP to have our squadron patches on, so we can tell who's part uh whut squadron we're a part of."

"That does sound like a good idea," said Lynne, "Everyone would get mixed up if nobody could tell what unit everybody's from."

"That's the idea," said Ayumi, "Rules and Regs about flying are a bit stricter in the future."

"Yes, it's all to make sure that we all operate with utmost efficiency," said Evelyn.

"I don't think I'd like it in the future," sighed Erica.

"Aw, the future isn't that bad," said Frederica, "There's a whole bunch of stuff that makes life a whole lot easier. Like microwaves. Just pop something inside, punch a few buttons, and bam, hot food in just a couple minutes. Just don't try putting any metals in it. I did that, and it almost exploded in my face."

"You're lucky you poke your eye out," said Myah, "If you don't use things the way they're supposed to, you're either gonna break them."

"Says the girl who always has to come to me to fix her Strikers because she can't use them like they're supposed to be use," chided Carly.

This got Myah provoked. "Why you…ah…I'll get back to you when I've got a good comeback."

"You are quite cute when you are flustered, Myah," said Rosalina with a smile.

"Ah…man, I'm at a real loss for words right now," said Myah. She rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "Bah, screw you both! You guys got me all discombobulated now!" At that, she sighed and folded her arms.

"My, my," said Rosalina playfully, "If I could just…." She wrapped Myah in a warm embrace and kissed her on the cheek.

This made Myah feel ten times better, and she returned the hug.

"Hey, Rosalina, you wouldn't happen to be related to Duchess Maria of Venezia, would you?" asked Lucchini.

"As a matter of fact, she is my great-grandmother," answered Rosalina, "My family is still politically involved in Romagna, and my older sister is the Head of State. I'm the first witch in this line, though, so that's why I'm here."

Soon, Yoshika, Shirley, and Lucchini were done with breakfast. Once everyone had food, they all began to dig in.

"Mm, delicious as always, Yoshika," said Trude.

"Thank you," said Yoshika with a bright smile.

"Yeah, this food's pretty legit," said Carly.

"What's 'leh-jit'?" asked Lucchini.

"Legit. Short for legitimate. We in the future often use to say something is, like, cool, awesome, sorta like that," described Azalea.

"Hm, you future types must really have it easy if you shorten words and 'cook' with so-called microwaves so much," Perrine said.

"We may have things to make life easier, but that doesn't mean we're lazy," said Addy, "People in the future still do have it hard, especially with the whole Neuroi infection going on."

"Well, microwaves ain't that far off frum bein' invented," said Kathleen, "Soon, ya might fand yerself cooking with one, too. 'Specially since yer hecka rich, Perrine."

"I do like the prospect," said Perrine, "I'll talk it over with the house staff."

"Getting one for the base would be a good idea as well," said Minna.

"Not a bad proposition," said Katya.

As this was going on, a telephone rang, and Mio went up to answer it. "This is Maj. Sakamoto. Uh-huh. Yes. Mm-hm. Hai. We'll be there." She hung up, and relayed the message to the others. "It was the air operations chief. He said that we all need to report to the airfield. There's an aircraft carrying supplies for us from our countries."

Everyone stood up, put their dishes in the sink, and filed out of the dining room. "Supplies from our countries, huh?" wondered Trude.

"I wonder why they didn't just bring them in by truck, like they usually do," said Erica.

"Must be pretty important," said Shirley.

"Oooooh, I hope it's something really cool," said Lucchini excitedly.

* * *

0732 Hours, October 23, 1945

Approaching St. Trond Air Base

The big C-74 Globemaster lumbered through the air, its four massive props biting through the air. As it approached the runway, its flaps and gear extended to ensure safe touchdown for it and its contents.

Inside, a certain blonde Karlsland witch in a white lab coat and glasses did some final checks on the cargo, running some small maintenance tune-ups; she was accompanied by an even younger Liberian girl.

"Hey, Ursula, I think we should get back to our seats," said the Liberian girl, "We'll be landing soon."

"In a minute, Darla," said Ursula, "I just have to run through a couple more things. These must all be in peak working condition when the 501st sees them. Could you pass me that wrench over there?"

"Sure thing," said Darla. Darla handed her the desired tool, and Ursula turned the rivet back into its place, securing the panel she was looking into shut.

"There, that should do it," said Ursula satisfactorily, "Let's return to our seats now, Darla."

"Okay."

Ten minutes later, the Globemaster touched down on the runway and was taxiing its way to the 501st and their modern-day counterparts. Ironically enough, it parked itself right next to the still-larger Antonov An-225 that the modern witches arrived in; little did any of the witches on the ground knew just how ironic this moment was: with the cargo that the Globemaster was carrying, it too, became a vessel of the future. Ursula smiled at this thought, compounded with the prospect of the meetings that were about to take place. "Come on, Darla," she said, "There are some people I'd like for you to meet."

Once the door opened, Ursula and Darla walked down the provided staircase; ground crew and the aircrew could be seen off-loading the cargo from the back. Behind them, the team of Karlslander scientists made their ways down the stairs. Of course, the first person to run up to meet them was Erica, Ursula's twin sister, with the other witches not far behind.

Erica gave Ursula a big hug, "Hey, Sis! How have you been?"

Ursula adjusted her glasses. "I've been well."

"What brings you here?" Erica asked.

"I have come to provide you and the 501st some new equipment."

Darla spoke up. "Excuse me, um, you wouldn't happen to be Flying Officer Erica Hartmann, would you?" she asked.

"That's me," said Erica with a wink and a smile.

"The top ace in the world?"

"Yep."

"Whoa!" Right behind Erica, another girl who also looked exactly like Erica and Ursula walked up to them. "I didn't know you were triplets," said Darla, "I always thought that you were just twins."

"Ah, she's not our sister," said Erica excitedly, "Though she is family." Erica turned to Ursula. "Ursula, I'd like for you to meet – "

" – Frederica Hartmann, Senior Captain of the Bundeswehr Luftwaffe, and your great-granddaughter."

By this time, the other witches caught up to them, and they, like Erica, Darla, and Frederica, heard Ursula finish Erica's sentence. Immediately, all conversation died, and everyone's eyes fell on Ursula. Amidst the silence, Frederica slowly brought her hands to her head, and did the "Mind-Blown" gesture, complete with an explosion sound effect. Finally, Erica managed to say, "…How?"

Ursula smiled softly, and said, "Even I cannot quite grasp it. Time-travel is such a beautiful and complicated concept."

Erica grabbed Ursula's shoulders and ordered, "Explain yourself."

"All in good time, Sis. Right now, however, we have more pressing matters to address." Ursula turned towards the cargo that was now completely offloaded the plane. Sgt. Gearing, the Globemaster's loadmaster, walked up to her with the cargo manifest.

"175 crates of arms and ammunition, 45 crates of aircraft parts, 50 crates of test equipment, and 20 crates of miscellaneous hardware." Sgt. Gearing read off the manifest and handed to Ursula to check over and sign off on.

Ursula took the list, adjusted her glasses, and grabbed a pen from her lab coat. Satisfied that everything was safe and sound, she signed off, and handed the manifest back to Sgt. Gearing. "Thank you kindly, Sergeant," she said, "And please extend my thanks to the rest of the aircrew, as well."

"Much obliged, Flying Officer. Will do." Sgt. Gearing straightened to attention and gave a salute, which Ursula returned. With that, Sgt. Gearing turned around and headed back to the plane to get the paperwork squared away.

Ursula turned back to see all the witches staring fixated at the cargo crates and canvas-covered objects now arranged neatly on the ground. She smiled; this was going to be a very interesting day all around. Walking over to the spread, she, with the help of Darla and the other scientists grabbed the canvas and removed it. What the witches feasted their eyes on next blew their expectations out of the water.

"Your home countries' militaries have all been very busy," Ursula began, "The high command wanted for the Joint Fighter Wings to field-test these first, starting with you all in the 501st. This is mainly for publicity reasons, but it is also because they wanted seasoned veterans to test them before they go into full production. What you are seeing now are the prototypes and pre-production models. There are three from the Karlsland design bureaus in New Karlsland, five from Fuso, six from Orussia, two from Liberion, one from Britannia, and even one from Gallia."

* * *

0747 Hours

St. Trond Air Base Tarmac

Erica was a bit nervous. The last time she saw her sister, things got rocky between the two; Erica was a bit against the usage of the new etherjet Strikers, even though she and Ursula made short work of a Neuroi while using them. She also had a problem with the Zwei-linked 109s, and even went as far as to call Ursula's inventions useless; although, she was sorry for that later. Back then, she thought the matter was over and done with; yet, here she was, staring at that damned Me 262 Striker again. Instead of its usual bright red, it was painted in shades of green and brown; it was almost sickening.

"So," she began, "This is what you meant by new equipment, huh?"

She felt Ursula take her hand. "Sis," she said, "Times are changing. Faster than you could ever imagine. Where's the fun in life, if you are only going to remain in the past?"

Erica didn't know how to answer that.

Ursula urged her on. "Look, I know it is going to be out of your comfort zone, and I understand that it has put your friends in danger. But the Neuroi are learning and evolving. A time is soon approaching where 109s and other magic propeller Strikers will become obsolete. You'll need something faster and more powerful to take them down and protect your friends. So, Sis, will you please give me another chance to prove the worth of etherjets?"

Erica bit her lip and creased her eyebrows. Ursula was right; as much as she really didn't want to believe it, times were changing. It might be best to move on sooner than later, so with a reluctant nod, she said, "Alright. But I'm using the He 162, got it?"

"A very good choice," said Ursula, "Small, light, and very fast."

"Isn't that one yours?" asked Erica.

"Yes."

"I'll try the Me 262 again," said Trude confidently.

"Excellent. We've made improvements to the power consumption and output, so it should be much easier to handle. That leaves the Heinkel He 280 for Minna then."

Minna walked over to the specified Striker. Like the 262, it had a pair of wing-mounted engines, but that was where the similarities ended. Its body shape was more rounded, and its wings were not swept back. Despite these differences, it looked nearly every bit as sleek and cunning as the 262 did, so Minna was excited at the prospect of using it.

"The magic engines in the Heinkel are smaller, and therefore less powerful. This means they'll consume a little less magic from you, _herr Oberstleutnant_."

"I'm okay with that," said Minna.

"As for you, Heidemarie, unfortunately, I was unable to procure more examples of Luftwaffe Strikers," said Ursula, "So would you be willing to assist Flying Officer Litvyak with testing out the Orussian Strikers?"

"Oh, that's fine," said Heidemarie. She rubbed her eyes a bit, and Mariela yawned next to her.

"Okay."

Yoshika knew exactly which Striker she was going to use: the one shaped exactly like her Shinden. Ursula looked like she expected this.

"Your father had a hand in designing that one," she said, "He called it the Shinden-Kai. I'm curious as to how this one performs."

"Oh, I see," said Yoshika. She gently laid a hand on the Shinden-Kai. _Another gift from Otōsan, huh?_ She smiled.

"Although you can pick a Striker to keep, I'd like for every Striker to be used and tested at least once, so we can collect data on everything," said Ursula, "So, since we've got more Fusan Strikers than witches, would it be okay for you and Sgt. Hattori take turns using each of them?"

"Okay," said Yoshika. She looked back at the Shinden-Kai. "I think I'll start in this one then."

"And I'll start with the Kitsuka," said Shizuka.

"Very well," said Ursula, "Ah, that reminds me. Squadron Leader Sakamoto, I was able to procure a Nakajima A9N1 Kitsuka for you. It is the same type of aircraft as the Striker, so you don't have to worry about being left behind in the battle. The parts and plans are in some of the crates here."

"Thank you," said Mio.

"You are quite welcome, Major." Ursula turned her attention to Sanya and Eila. "Flying Officers Litvyak and Juutilainen, I'll have you test out the Orussian Strikers. As I've said previous, Heidemarie will be assisting you."

"Okay," said Sanya.

"This sounds like it's going to be fun," said Eila with an ambitious smile.

Shirley, Carly, Lucchini, and Myah were all checking out the two Liberion Strikers. "That one on the left looks pretty sleek," said Shirley.

"That's the P-80 Shooting Star," said Carly, "One of the first Liberion jets."

"She can go up to 600mph," explained Myah, "The other one, the P-59 Airacomet, could only make 413mph."

"This one?" asked Lucchini, pointing to the one on the right.

"Ah, no," said Ursula, "That one is the P-84 Thunderjet. A rather fitting name, Thunderjet."

"I think that name sounds cool," said Lucchini brightly, "I wanna use this one!"

"Huh, guess that little incident with the 262 way back when didn't faze you one bit," said Shirley.

"That was a long time ago, when jets were still new," said Lucchini, "I'm confident that it'll be okay this time."

"I guess you're right," said Shirley.

Next were Lynette, who was grounded until she gave birth to her babies, and Amirah. Still, Ursula showed her the new Striker. It had wide, straight but short wings; instead of slung underneath the wings or inside the body, they were integrated into the wing, with the wing going through the middle. "This, Flight Sergeant Bishop, is the Gloster Meteor F.4. According to what I've been told, the lengthier engine nacelles and shortened wings are supposed to make it faster than its earlier models."

"It's beautiful," said Lynne.

"Quite," said Ursula, "Now, Flight Lt. Sulaiman, we have over here the de Havilland Vampire." The Vampire had a small body, straight wide wings, and twin-boom tails. It looked impressive, and pretty fast.

"I like this Striker," said Amirah approvingly, "Can't wait to see what this thing can do."

"You said that there is an etherjet Striker from Gallia," said Perrine to Ursula, "Which one is it?"

"Ah, right here, Flying Officer Clostermann," said Ursula, "Since your country was only just recently liberated from the Neuroi, it's still trying to pick itself back up, no? Well, to show that they were still around, a team of Gallian engineers got together and designed what you see here. This is the Sud-Ouest SO 6000 Triton. Unfortunately, they only made one, so they want you to use it, and tell us what you think. Feel free to pick out another Striker as your personal one later."

"How come I cannot keep it with me?" asked Perrine.

"Since there's only one, the company decided to have it tour around the JFWs containing Gallian witches, and to have them take pictures with it and using it," said Ursula.

Perrine looked over the small and tubby Striker from her homeland. While having its engine integrated into the body, nothing much else looked very sleek or combat-effective about it. Addy was next to her.

"It looks more like an airliner," she said.

"It is a little wider than the others," said Ursula, "However, it has a Karlsland-build engine, and I've been told that it theoretically can reach almost 600mph."

Perrine smiled. "This is a symbol that Gallia is getting back on its feet," she said, placing a hand on the Triton, "Let's see what it can do."

Ursula clasped her hands together. "Excellent. Would you also be willing to fly out the Meteor on Flight Sergeant Bishop's behalf?"

"Sure," said Perrine.

"Good. Okay, everyone, pick your Strikers, and let's start testing. Hans, get the equipment ready, and have the engineer team start putting together Squadron Leader Sakamoto's Kitsuka. Darla, stay with Hans."

"Yes, ma'am," said one of the scientists.

"I'll help you, Mr. Metternich," said Darla.

"Thank you," said the scientist.

"Ah, would you also help me collect data from the air?" Ursula asked the modern-day witches.

"Of course," said Anna, "I'll go, along with Katya, Lidiya, DJ, and Mariela. We'll help Ursula with collecting data."

"Thank you," said Ursula, "Take these." She handed them large speed gauges. "Just turn them on, and they'll do the rest. Please also take some photos and videos for research."

"Sure thing," they said.

"I think we've got some video cameras in the Mriya," said Lidiya, "I'll go grab them."

A photographer began taking pictures as the girls of the 501st climbed into the new jets, while a cameraman filmed the occasion. Thinking that they were another squadron of witches taking part in the test exercise, the two also began taking pictures of the modern-day witches. They began striking all manner of poses, throwing peace signs, making shakas, amongst others.

Soon, the air was pierced with the whine of jets winding up. The 501st taxied out, and lined up on the runway. Ursula came up on radio. "Okay, start taking off one by one."

"Got it," said Minna in the Heinkel He 280. She accelerated; the Heinkel jet took a while to get off the ground, but in no time, it was up in the air.

Trude was next in the Me 262. Ursula was right; Trude could feel a good difference between this one and the first time she used a 262.

Erica followed in the He 162. Being smaller and lighter than the larger jets, she had the shortest takeoff run and was the quickest in the air. She was actually impressed. "Hm, I like this one a lot better."

After Erica came Sanya. She'd chosen the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 for her first test run. Eila followed close behind in the Lavochkin La-152, and Heidemarie came up next with the Yakovlev Yak-17. The La-152 and Yak-17 were unusual in that they had their exhaust ports poking out of the middle of the Striker legs' bellies.

Behind those three came Yoshika and Shizuka. Of course, Yoshika went with the Shinden-kai first, both because of familiarity with the Shinden and because it was designed by her father. Shizuka went up with the Nagashima A9N1 Kitsuka; inspired by the Me 262, it had straighter rounder wings, and smaller engines underneath the wings.

Next were Shirley and Lucchini. Shirley took the Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star, and Lucchini took the Republic P-84B Thunderstreak.

Finally, the last up were Amirah in the Vampire and Perrine in her home country's Triton. Despite its shape, it leapt into the air, and handled quite easily. "I did have my doubts about this, to be honest," said Perrine, "But the Triton is doing quite well, so far."

Behind the 501st came the Ursula, von Wilke sisters, Lidiya, DJ, and Mariela with their speed gauges and video cameras.

"Glad to hear it," said Ursula on the radio, "Now that we all are in the air, we've devised a little course for you to fly through. Fly east at full power for 25km, so we can gauge your top speeds. Then zoom climb up to 30,000ft. Once there, make a heading back over the airfield, bank left and right, skid left and right, execute a full loop, do a barrel roll, an aileron roll, and a Split S. Once at a lower altitude of 20,000ft, repeat the process, and then once again at 10,000ft. That will all be to determine the maneuvering characteristics of the Strikers. Finally, accelerate to top speed and climb as high as your Strikers can allow. That will be to determine your climbing rates and service ceilings. Got all that?"

"Understood," said Minna, "Let's go, everyone."

"We won't have to do any of that while gathering data, will we?" asked Lidiya.

"No," said Ursula, "We just need to keep with them."

"Oh, that'll be a simple manner," said Mariela.

"Your Striker is most intriguing, um…" Ursula realized that she didn't ask for anyone else's names. She felt embarrassed.

"Major Mariela Knueppel. Just call me Mariela. And that's Colonel Anna Litvyak von Wilke, Lt. Col. Yekaterina Litvyak von Wilke, or Katya, Lt. Dorotea Juutilainen, or DJ, and Lt. Lidiya Litvyak."

"It is nice to meet you," said Ursula, "I'll have to get everyone else's names after we're done testing. I'm sorry for not asking earlier."

"Don't worry about it," said DJ, "Now, let's get back to testing."

"Okay."

The tests went off without a hitch, and the scientists on the ground along with the chase witches got a lot of good data on the jets. As it turned out, the P-84B Thunderjet had the highest speed at 622mph, with the P-80C Shooting Star and Meteor F.4 following behind at 600mph. The rest of the Strikers fell around the 460-590mph range. In the field of service ceiling, the Shooting Star lived up to its celestial name at 46,000 feet; the next closest was the MiG-9, maxing out at almost 45,000 feet, and the others remained in the range of 32,000-43,000 feet. The Meteor came out on top in the rate-of-climb department, zooming to altitude at 7000 feet per minute, while most other Strikers climbed at around 3700-4800 feet per minute. The Vampire, the second of the Britannian Strikers, came in second with a climb rate of 4800 feet per minute. The Kitsuka and Yak-17, however, lagged behind at 1237 and 2362 feet per minute. Aside from data, the photographers, filmers, and chase witches were also able to get good photos and films of each and every jet Strikers' performance; it was quite the event.

By the time the last jet Striker docked into the cradle, the 501st, Ursula, and the chase witches were very tired; Sanya, Eila, Heidemarie, and Mariela were about ready to collapse right on the tarmac and sleep there. However, the tests were a success, and the witches had made their decisions on their chosen Striker.

Trude went with the Me 262, Erica went with the He 162, and Minna went with the He 280. Having used MiGs all the time, Sanya decided to stick with the MiG-9, while Eila chose the Yak-15. Heidemarie went with the Su-9, mostly because of its resemblance to the Me 262.

Yoshika decided to go with the Shinden-Kai; she'd made that decision the minute she laid eyes on it. It didn't matter to her that it only retained its maneuverability at low altitudes; she loved it all the same. Shizuka went with the Kitsuka; she particularly liked its high-speed maneuverability, even though it had the lowest climbing rate in the whole lineup.

Although it was only the second fastest Striker, Shirley decided to stick with the Shooting Star. "It may not be the fastest," she said, "But she is still quite the looker."

Lucchini, then, took the Thunderjet. "Yay," she said, "Maybe I can stay with the modern-days next time we fly out."

"You may try," said Myah, "But I'm not called 'Speedy Lucchini' for nothing."

"Just you watch," said Lucchini, "You'll be seeing my behind before you know it."

Since Lynne would still be grounded for many more months, and since Perrine could not keep the Triton, she decided to keep the Meteor until Lynne could fly, choosing the La-152 as her alternative.

With the tests now done for the day, Minna decided to let the 501st have the day off. After the number of flights they've been doing for the past several hours, she knew they needed some much-needed rest. However, patrols still needed to be flown, especially since they're so close to the front; she turned to the modern-day witches for help.

"Don't you worry," said Anna, checking her magic level meter, "We've got patrols covered. You guys just hang out." Turning to the others, she said, "Okay, girls, here's the plan. Myah, Carly, you two patrol to the northeast. Gracie, Azalea, you patrol along the Karlsland side of the Rhine; since you're stealth witches, you should be more than able to avoid detection. Evy, Frederica, you take the southeast. Miki, you fly AWACS, and Ayumi will do escort. As ranking officer, Ayumi, I leave operational command to you. Use the callsign 'Maverick' to contact us, and you will all go under 'Goose'. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," said the specified witches.

"Good. Now, go."

Soon, the air was pierced once again by the sounds of jets; only this time, louder and more powerful ones. Ayumi, Goose Leader, was first up, and the rest followed soon after. Not failing to catch this moment, the photographers and cameramen took photos and videos of these strange witches and their strange Strikers.

Minna was impressed. "You seem to be quite the leader, Anna," she said.

"Thank you. So, now that we have the rest of the day off, what do you suppose we do?"

"Well," began Minna, "We can start with asking Ursula how she knows who you all are already."

"Ah," said Ursula, "There isn't really much I can say much, because it is still something I cannot quite make sense of. It does have something to do with time-traveling. Anna, do you remember the Mother Bird from your time?"

"Yes. It was carrying other witches from our squadrons to the north to patrol over the Scandinavian Peninsula. Why?"

"Well, they befell a similar fate to you, and are stuck in the year 1940."

"What?!" exclaimed Anna, "So, you mean our friends are trapped in an earlier time?"

"For the time being, yes. But, from what I remember, we all meet up later on, and everything gets set right. That's really all I can tell you. Now, let's discuss other things. I have a lot of questions about the technology from the future."

"Sure," said Anna, "Since it's nearly dinnertime, why don't we talk further over some food?"

"Sounds like a great idea."

"Great. Us future witches will be handling dinner tonight."

"Yessiree," said Kathleen, "And Ah'm handlin' biscuits."

"Yes!" shouted Frederica over the radio, "Your biscuits are the best, Kathleen." Somewhere over Karlsland, she did a joyful series of loops and rolls.

"We'll have something really good to look forward to when we get back," said Ayumi, "So let's get this patrol over with and go home."

* * *

That night….

The 501st dining hall was filled with the smells of delicious food and the sounds of jubilant conversation and laughter. As always, Kathleen's biscuits were simply to die for, and the modern-day witches' cooking was really good, even if they came from time where MREs existed.

As it turned out, Ursula, Darla, and the scientists and engineers would be staying for a while to collect further data, and be on-hand in case any mishaps came about. They all joined the 501st and the modern-days around the table to partake in the delicious food, talking and asking about life in the next millennium. Ursula took particular interest in the modern-days' Strikers' flight characteristics and engine schematics, along with their wrist-mounted flight computers.

Unsurprisingly, Sanya, Eila, Heidemarie, and Mariela looked extremely tired and about ready to pancake their faces into their food. Even Azalea, who did not fly nearly as long as they did, looked the same way, and the ever-watchful Gracie was there to keep that from happening. DJ decided to play the same role for the other four of last night's Night Witches. Once dinner was done with, some of the modern-day witches decided to do a little performing. The room came alive with the sound of music.

* * *

1845 Hours, 23 October, 1945

Just outside 501st building

The night was calm, peaceful, and cloudless. The stars shone bright across the clear sky, illuminating a mysterious figure standing alone amongst the trees. She looked young, possibly in her pre-teen years. Her skin was fair, and her silvery-blonde hair was ponytailed with a big indigo bow and accented with a streak of the same color. She wore a sharp-looking outfit consisting of a graphite blazer fitted over a white collared shirt and a long-tailed indigo bowtie. A graphite pleated skirt went just halfway to the knees, and an indigo ribbon was tied in a bow facing backwards around her waist. Black gloves, black leggings with indigo double-helices on the sides, and white knee-high boots completed her getup.

Leaning against a tree, Sayaka Ichiro Miyafuji Bishop found herself deep in thought about the story so far. Though, it was progressing much like she'd seen countless times previous, something about this one was going to be different; she could feel it. "The events have been set in motion once again. A clean slate has presented itself. The….the….u-h-m…." Suddenly, she couldn't think of anything else to say. And what the hell was she saying? This totally is NOT how she normally speaks. Not one bit. She's been hanging around them goddesses Aionara and Sayuri too much. Way too much. Hang on… _no she hasn't!_ Last time she saw them was….a really long time ago. She began to wonder how they were doing. Hold up a moment, she was getting off-topic.

Sayaka looked up at the starlit sky, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Author! What. Are. You. Doing?!"

Wait….what? What was Sayaka doing? Doesn't she know that characters can't interact with authors?

Sayaka placed her hands on her hips, arms akimbo. "But I can."

And why is that?

"Don't you know?"

No, I don't.

"Come on, dummy! Of course, you do! Go to your Documents, and read my bio again."

The author clicks – "Yo! We're in the past tense, man!"

Ahem, the author _clicked_ on the documents window, and pulled up Sayaka's bio. Once he finished, he remembered. Sayaka's got the ability to interact with and manipulate interdimensional rifts.

"Which technically means I can break the Fourth Wall."

Hey now! Don't be mentioning the Fourth Wall out loud!

"Why not?"

Look, why don't we discuss this in a more secure location?

"Deal." Sayaka held out her hand, and disappeared in a bright gray flash of static. All became quiet. Silence has fallen.

Ok. This is kinda awkward. I guess I'll just end it here, then.

 **[End of Cha – ]**

Before I could wrap up the chapter, a bright flash of white suddenly erupts behind me. I turn, and there she was. My own character, Sayaka Ichiro Miyafuji Bishop. This odd girl looked around. "Nice room," she remarks. She un-manifested her magic, and her outfit changed from Magical Girl to a gold-colored plaid 1940s-era dress and blouse.

Staring stunned a little confused, I manage a "….thanks…"

"So," she rubbed her hands together and sat on the edge of my bed, "Let's get down to brass tacks. Why can't I break the Fourth Wall?"

"Well, there's nothing saying that you _can't_. There are loads of people who break the Fourth Wall, Deadpool, Frank Underwood, and basically the entire cast of _The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air_ being great examples. I'm just saying that it's best not to do it too much, especially around the canon characters and certain OCs. My other characters are aware of the Fourth Wall, and they often handle post-story announcements while I'm out." _Which, unfortunately, I lost because I'm stupid,_ I chagrin, _I'll have to do something about it_. "However, they make no mention of it in-story, and play along with the plot. Get me?"

"Oh, so I'm free to break the Fourth Wall as much as I like, just not so much around others."

"Exactly. If the knowledge of the Fourth Wall and its fragility gets to the wrong people, who knows what might happen? And you and I both know there's one dude who we definitely DO NOT want knowing about this."

"Okay. Deal." Sayaka and I shake hands to solidify our contract.

"So, whatcha doin'?"

"I'm working on the outline for my next chapter to the story."

"That's cool. Why does it say 'Carotene is a protein' and 'makes carrots orange' on the top?"

"Hey! Don't hover over my shoulder. It's awkward."

"Sorry. Hey, you mentioned that your other characters do the post-story announcements, right?"

"Yeah."

"You mind if I handle this one?"

"Don't you got something to do?"

"I do?"

"Yeah, you know, reunite the 815th and 413th, save an entire plane of existence from entropy, defeat Elroy Vrigara. You should've gotten a list of stuff to do by now."

Sayaka began patting her body in various places, trying to locate the supposed list. Unsuccessful, she blurts, "Criminetly! I don't have one!"

"You gotta get one soon, so you'll know what to do to succeed this time."

"Where do I go?"

"Hmmmm…let me see." I flipped through my notebook to look for the page I wrote this tidbit of information on. "Aha! Go to the Battle of Incheon, find a girl named Cindy Jablonski. Ask about 'The To-Do List'."

"Now?"

"Now would be best."

"Alright. Be back in a jiffy!" Sayaka goes Magical Girl again and flashes out through a rift. She reappears again in just a few seconds, still sitting on the edge of my bed, reading through the list intently. "Get help from friends. Meet with old lady Cindy. Plan out meeting with young Cindy. Fix Cindy's WYK condition. Gather friends…this is a lot of stuff to do."

"I know, but every single one of those tasks will ensure success this time. Trust me. I'm – "

"I know, I know. The author. How did Cindy even know about me? About this? I never met her. And she's so young. I could almost say too young."

"Remember, 'time is not a linear progression of cause to effect, but…."

"'….Rather, a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey, stuff.' How could I have forgotten such a fundamental concept?"

"The Doctor sure does know his stuff."

"So true. Well, it seems I have a crap-ton of work to do. First on the list: 'Talk to some friends.'" Sayaka stands up, holds out her hand, produces an EL-16HFE blaster rifle from one of her many parallel pocket universes, and opens up another rift. "Well then, see ya later! Please make this easy on me."

"I'll think about it," I call back jokingly.

Sayaka smiles and flashes out; the rift closes soon after. I'm all alone again. Suddenly, she flashes back in. "Oh, don't worry about redoing the header and footer notes in the other chapters," she says.

"Why?" I wonder.

"I already took care of them!" With that, she flashes out once again.

I check my other chapters, and find out that she was right. She even went and put in her own commentary on the plot so far. "Huh….well, thanks, man," I say to no one in particular. Oh yeah! You all have no idea who she was. Keep on the lookout for another story all about her.

Anyway, let's wrap this puppy up with some references. See y'all in the next chapter!

References:

"Touch the Sky" is from the movie "Brave" from Disney and Pixar. Really good movie, really good song.

The "Star Wars" franchise belongs also to Disney, and Lucasarts. Best sci-fi franchise ever.

All the jets I based the Strikers off of were real historical jets from WWII. Some only made prototype, others didn't even leave the paper, and others still made it all the way to full production, and even saw action.

Ok. I'm done.

"Could Have Been Me" – The Struts


	9. Chapter 9, Part I: Purple Haze

" _Another one. Another one. Another one. And another one."  
\- DJ Khaled_

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Purple Haze**

0800 Hours, October 22, 1940

Kauhava Air Base, Suomus

The 507th JFW was returning back to the base after their leave. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and they weren't looking forward to getting back to work. As their truck trundled along the road, they talked about the stuff they did, and Haruka's comments began turning to something lewd. Tomoko quickly shut her up with a stern glare and a hand over her mouth. Meanwhile, Giuseppina sat on Tomoko's other side, pouting about the fact that Tomoko touched Haruka and not her.

* * *

Poor Tomoko was fed up. While the leave was welcome relief from being on-duty, she couldn't exactly enjoy herself, what with those two always clambering all over her, and yammering about how she was one's and not the other's. _Sometimes, I wish there was a second me_ , she thought in her head. Little did she know that her wish was about to be granted.

The truck pulled in, and finally stopped in front of the 507th's barracks. The witches filed out and headed back to their rooms. Tomoko stops in front the door with her name on it, and opens the door. She stops in her tracks. Sleeping peacefully in her bed…was _herself?_

"What the….? Who the hell are you?!" In shock and slight frustration, she drew her sword, and pointed it at her sleeping lookalike. She thought she could hear yelps of surprise coming from the other rooms, but she paid them no mind.

The lookalike stirred, and finally arose with a yawn. "Makoa? That you? What are you doing wearing my uniform?" Sitting up with a stretch, she noticed Haruka behind Tomoko. "Hey, Kaminari. Already awa-…" Mid-sentence, she snapped awake. Squinting at Tomoko and Haruka, she reached over and grabbed a pair of black thin-frame glasses, and looked back at them. Her eyes widened, and she began shaking another sleeping person beside her, saying, "Kaminari. Kaminari, wake up. Something's going on here. Something really strange."

"Enough," Tomoko was fed up, and she swung her sword.

Acting quickly, like lightning, her lookalike leapt from the bed, grabbed her own sword, and blocked the swing. At the same time, she fused with her familiar, and her sword glowed blue.

Amazed, Tomoko said, "Who…are you?"

Pushing off Tomoko's blade, the girl stood up, defused with her familiar, sheathed her sword, and said, "I am Lieutenant Colonel Anabuki Anko, a witch of the Fuso Air Self Defense Force. I am the One-Winged Angel of Fuso. But you knew that already."

Haruka, and this now-awake Kaminari gawked in awe. "Whoa…"

 _Wait, did she just say Anabuki?_ Tomoko thought to herself. _Does that mean I have a sister? And what is the Fuso Air Self Defense Force?_ She shook her head, sheathed her own sword, and introduced herself, "I'm Flying Officer Anabuki Tomoko, Fuso Imperial Army. I'm the Tomoe Gozen of the Fuso Sea."

"Wait, what?" said Anko, "The air branch of Fuso's military separated from the Army back in 1954. And it's not the Imperial military anymore; it's the Fuso Self Defense Force. Come on, Makoa, you have to do better than that." She drew her sword once again, and pointed it at Tomoko. "The jig is up, Makoa-chan. I was done playing along when you tried to cleave me in half with that sword. Drop the act."

"How dare you talk to me like that," said Tomoko, drawing her sword as well, "And who is this 'Makoa' you keep calling me?"

Not lowering her sword, Anko said, "Come on, Makoa-chan. We're twins. I only know one other person who looks exactly like me. And you and I both know I outrank you."

Now Kaminari – who looked like Haruka, with glasses to boot – spoke up, "Uh, Anko-san, if I may….I do not think that is Makoa-san."

Anko turned her head to look at Kaminari. "What do you mean?"

"Makoa-san has a tan; this Tomoko-san does not. She has fair skin like you. Also, her hair is long and black. Yours and Makoa-san's are dark brown, and plus, Makoa-san's hair is shorter."

"She could've gotten her skin spray-colored and a wig, or dyed her hair."

"But why would she need to do that? What could she hope to gain from such an elaborate prank?"

"Because…" Anko's resolve began to falter.

Seeing an opportunity, Tomoko attacked with her sword. In another flash not unlike that of Anko's, Kaminari leapt from the bed, fused with her familiar, and threw up a shield in front of Tomoko.

"Why you! Out of my way, Kaminari-chan. Let me teach this girl a lesson or two about catching someone off-guard!"

Instead of moving out of the way, Kaminari threw up a second shield. She looked sternly at both of the sword-brandishing witches. "Alright, that's enough!" She held up her hand. "Swords. Now. Both of you. Give them to me." Neither Anko or Tomoko moved. "Come on, Anko. As the Senior Medical Officer, it is my job to keep everyone in the Wing alive, and brandishing a katana is a quick way to impede my duties. Tomoko, as a Lieutenant Commander, I rate OF-3. As a Flying Officer, you only rate OF-1. As your superior officer, I order you to hand over your sword now."

Both Anko and Tomoko finally turn over their swords, albeit reluctantly. Kaminari took them, and said, "Thank you. Now, that's all done. You've had your go at each other….wait a minute!"

"What is it?" asked Anko.

Kaminari stared wide-eyed at the two swords she now held. "….Look at them….They're exactly the same. Down to the last detail."

Tomoko, Haruka, and Anko come in for a closer look, and it turned out Kaminari was right. Tomoko and Anko stared at each other. "Just who exactly are you?" they asked each other at the same time, "I am…but you have….does that mean….how….?" She and Anko turn back to Kaminari, pleading for answers.

Before she could answer, a dark-colored girl in a Liberian uniform runs it, and looks at them, shaking her head. "I've been seeing double all morning," she said, "Which of youse is Anko and Kaminari?"

Anko and Kaminari raised their hands.

"Come on! Stefanie's awake. Everyone's already there."

Kaminari and Anko look at each other, and then hop into action. Kaminari tossed their swords back to Tomoko and Anko – little did any of them know that she accidentally switch them out – grabbed her medkit, and jogs after Jasmine. Anko followed behind. Tomoko and Haruka remained in the room, wondering what exactly just transpired. They looked out into the hallway, at the retreating forms of their lookalikes.

Elizabeth Beurling walked out of her room, her face uncharacteristically devoid of her usual stoic demeanor. "Did you….?" She didn't exactly know how to finish the question.

"I'm not entirely sure what just happened," said Ursula.

"Why are there doppelgangers of us hangin' out in our rooms?" asked Katherine O'Hare.

"This really freaking me out," said Elma Leivonen.

"To be completely honest, I feel a little left out, since I don't seem to have one," said Giuseppina, "However, now there are _two_ Anabukis, so I'm liking this so far. You can have the Flying Officer, Haruka. I'm gonna get me that Anko lady."

"Ohohohoho~!" An all-too-familiar laugh echoed down the hall, and F/L Ahonen came in with a smile on her face. "So, I see you've all found our new guests."

"F/L Ahonen," said Tomoko frustratedly, "What the hell is going on exactly? Is this some sort of practical joke?"

"Oh, no, I could never do that," said Ahonen, "They arrived here last night. Did you not see the giant plane on the airfield?"

"No, we didn't."

"Hm. At any rate, you should go and talk to them. You may find that they are….not from around….now."

"Eh? What do you mean, Flight Lieutenant?" asked Elma.

"When you first met them, did you notice how they looked almost exactly you, as if they could be family, but something was a little different?"

"Well, yeah," said Katherine.

"Did you also notice any difference in their speech patterns?"

The 507th witches nod. "What exactly are you getting at?" asked Beurling.

"Even I don't exactly know for sure. But you should go and talk to them. And when you do, ask them what year it is."

The 507s stood there, baffled at that statement.

"Well, go on," said Ahonen. They all turn and go. Once she was alone, Ahonen dropped her act and suddenly became serious. "Just what happened last night? Witches from the future going back in time…I'm just as baffled as they are…"

* * *

0815 Hours

Medical Wing

Anko, Kaminari, and Jasmine arrived on the scene and walked up to Stefanie's bed. This was quite impressive, considering that Stefanie had violently injured her head just last night. Stefanie stared at the new arrivals.

"Hey, there, Lt. Col. Kleinheyer," said Kaminari, "How are you feeling?"

 _"Nun, mein Kopf tut ein bisschen weh. Aber, ich werde leben_ ," Stefanie answered.

"Good," said Kaminari. She silently thanked the language classes she had to take back in medical training. "Do you mind if I can remove the bandages and check your wound?"

 _"Ja, einverstanden."_

"Thank you." Kaminari unwrapped Stefanie's head and checked the injury. Rather, she would have checked the injury, had there been one there. Miraculously, the gash in Stefanie's head that was fresh last night was now gone; not even a scar marred the smooth white skin. "Good news, Lt. Col., it seems that you've made a full recovery. There's not even a scar."

Stefanie smiled. _"Das sind gute Neuigkeiten!"_

Jasmine sighed in relief. "That's good to hear, Kaminari."

"I kind-of wish that the same could be done about my scars," said Alisa Leivonen, feeling the scars on her left arm and right cheek.

"Just one question, though," said Sarah Blackwood Beurling, "How come she's only speaking Karlslandich?"

* * *

At the same time….

The 507th finally caught up with their mysterious doppelgangers; they were surprised to find that they also came with a load of other company, all gathered around a Karlslander-looking girl sitting up in a bed.

Haruka sighed with a happy reminiscent tone. "Ah, this was the same exact bed where Flying Officer Tomoko and I-Mmmph!"

Tomoko quickly shut her up with a hand over her mouth.

Having just come in when one of the witches asked why the girl in the bed was speaking only Karlslandich, Ursula stepped forward, wanting to make herself useful. "Allow me to communicate with her," she said, "I can relay whatever she says to you all."

"Thank ya kindly," said a lightly-bronzed Liberian girl.

With a nod, Ursula walked up to the girl and introduced herself, " _Hallo, mein Name ist Ursula Hartmann. Welches ist deines?"_

 _"Hallo, Ursula. Ich bin Stefanie Kleinheyer. Darf ich fragen, wo ich bin?"_

 _"Sie befinden sich in Kauhava Luftwaffenbasis, Suomus."_

 _"Suomus, nicht wahr? Also, wer sind sie?"_

Ursula went through the list of her friends in the 507th, but that didn't seem to satisfy Stefanie.

Stefanie gestured to the number of other witches looking concernedly at her. _"Ich spreche über sie. Wer sind Sie?"_

 _"Was meinen Sie? Sie sind deine Freunde. Sie sollten sie bereits kennen."_

 _"Worüber redest du? Ich habe noch nie eine deiser Menschen zuvor in meinem Leben."_ Stefanie looked questioningly at everyone around her.

Ursula looked concerned, and a Fusan girl next to her appeared to go pale.

"What? What did she say?" asked a dark-colored Liberian girl.

Ursula turned to face the new arrivals. "She's…wondering who you are. She claims to have never met you before in her life."

"Dafuq?! Don't be pulling my leg, Miss," said the Liberian girl.

"She isn't," said the Fusan girl next to Ursula, "What she said is true. Stefanie is suffering from Cognitive Recalibration. It seems her head injury had caused her memory to be joggled."

"Shit…isn't there something you can do, Kaminari? You're a healer witch."

"I'm sorry, Major. Unfortunately, this is one thing I cannot fix."

"Godammit…" Everyone looked back at Stefanie.

Oblivious to the extent of the damage her injury's done to her, she smiled sheepishly and asked them, _"Was ist los mit dir? Gehst du nicht mir lhre Namen zu sagen?"_

* * *

1800 Hours, October 22, 2015

RNAS Culdrose Hospital

"She's stable for now. So far, we haven't seen any spread other than the immediately infected areas," said the doctor, "But her condition is pretty serious. With this many infection areas, we can only say that full infection could happen in mere weeks. You should be there. She may be asleep, but she's been asking for you."

Utari Jarumah Putri, a witch in the Indonesian Air Force, signed her thanks to the doctor, and entered her sister's room. It hurt severely, seeing her younger sister there. She was sleeping peacefully in a hospital gown, with the heart monitor and blood pressure machine beeping and humming away. It looked almost as if she was well, and didn't need to even be there. Had it not been for the black honeycombs of a Neuroi infection pockmarking the backs of her arms. Utari had even been told that those same damned spots dotted her back, too.

Her sister, Dewi Ayu Putri, was also a witch in the Indonesian Air Force, and unlike Utari, had gone to the Middle East for a rotation; Utari was chosen to become a test witch for Indonesia's new stealth fighter program, and was sent to RNAS Culdrose to test out one of the designs on October 10. Several days later, on the 19th, she'd gotten word that Dewi, along with her unit, had gotten Neuroi-infected, and was coming here. When Dewi arrived on the 20th, Utari did not fly out at all, staying by her side whenever possible for as long as possible. And this has been the way things were ever since.

Utari sat down next to her sister's sleeping body, and held a hand. She couldn't bear to see Dewi gone. They'd been practically inseparable since they were children. The fact that Utari was mute, and relied on Dewi to efficiently communicate with others, only further cemented this. Sure now that she was alone, she unleashed the tears welling up in her eyes. She sobbed, quietly, believing that this would be the last time she could ever see Dewi as she knew her.

 **[End of Chapter 9]**

 _Hope you all enjoyed! I've got nothing else to say. So, here's the reference: "Purple Haze" is a song made by Jimi Hendrix. He's a pretty cool artist._

 _Ok. I'm done._


	10. Chapter 9, Part II: Nil Sen La

_I felt like I left the last chapter with a lot of un-introduced new things that we'll be seeing in the coming future. So I made this. Yes, I know it's short, and yes, I know you've all been waiting a VERY long time. Sit tight. I'll get back on track. The life of a college student transferring into another university is not without its busy days, you know…_

* * *

 **Chapter 9.5: Níl Sé'n Lá**

1800 Hours, October 22, 2015

HMS Prince of Wales, Somewhere in the Irish Sea

The newly-completed _HMS Prince of Wales_ plied through the waters on her way back to her home port HMNB Clyde from her shakedown cruise. She traveled with a light escort of three Type 45 destroyers, and took on a small air group, the 575th Air Test and Evaluation Squadron, also known as "the Haiku Witches". Children and youth populated the decks of the _Prince of Wales_ , a situation only magnified by the presence of the 575th and its attached team of UPASRC engineers, and it seemed that the only real adults were the officers.

A product of the "Very Young Witches Evaluation Experiment", or the "VYWEE Project", the 575th consists completely of young witches from ages five to eleven, with a couple of 14-year-old witches as observers and aggressor flyers. It was formed to study and evaluate the possibility of recruiting very young witches in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm; younger witches meant smaller witches and smaller Strikers, which in turn meant that you could theoretically fit more witches aboard aircraft carriers.

Many top brass had their doubts, as they were concerned that exposing little girls to the horrors of the Neuroi wars at such an early age would traumatize them. Nevertheless, the Conch Republic, who has experience in the use of very young witches, stepped forward and offered their support for the Project. Through a careful selection process, young girls were picked from different countries, and they were all brought to RNAS Culdrose. Which led them to going through various tests. Which now landed them on the _Prince of Wales_.

The naval operations portion of the VYWEE Project went off without a hitch, as did the _Prince of Wales's_ shakedown cruise, so the mood was pretty festive aboard the carrier. With their last day at sea drawing to a close, the sailors and witches danced, sang, ate, and drank the night away in a huge party. Four of the 575th witches even began performing in the mess hall. They sang a festive song in Gaelic and Britannian.

 _Chuaigh mé isteach i dteach aréir  
_ _is d'iarr mé cairde ar mhnaoi an leanna.  
_ _Is é dúirt sí liom "Ní bhfaighidh tú deor.  
_ _Buail an bóthar is gabh abhaile_

 _I came by a house last night  
_ _And told the woman I am staying  
_ _I said to her: "The moon is bright  
_ _and my fiddles tuned for playing"_

 _Tell me that the night is long  
_ _Tell me that the moon is glowing  
_ _Fill my glass, I'll sing a song  
_ _And will start the music flowing  
_ _Never mind the rising light  
_ _There's no sign of day or dawning  
_ _In my heart it's still the night  
_ _And we'll stay here till the morning_

Inside the ship, men and girls danced the evening away. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the air was filled with the sounds of festive Gaelic.

* * *

Same time, Same day

Kiel-Holtenau Naval Airbase

Glacia Aurora Locklear placed the last box of her clothes and belongings into the truck. Finally, she was done packing up everything. She sat down on the floor, leaning back against the wall, and strummed her Flying V guitar. Suddenly, her phone rang. She scrambled to pick it up; it was Jenell Adlersflügel, a pilot from her unit, Marinefliegergeschwader 0. "Hello?" says Glacia, answering the phone. "Yeah….yeah….of course….No, I'm not _that_ irresponsible….yeah….I know…got it….understood….thank you. Oh, and tell the rest of the girls about that, as well….thank you….okay, goodbye."

Glacia hung up the phone, and smiled. "Jesus, Jenell," she said, "I'm not that irresponsible now, am I?"

She set about doing one last check through her room to ensure that she had packed and shipped everything she needed. RNAS Culdrose was going to be fun.

 **[End of Chapter 9.5]**

* * *

 _So yeah, just a little snippet to intro some new characters and units. I'll think about putting their rosters in the character "Story"._

 _The title and lyrics belong to the song Níl Sé'n Lá, sung by Celtic Woman._


	11. Chapter 10: Tir na nOg

" _But the thing about remembering is that you don't forget."  
― Tim O'Brien, _The Things They Carried

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Tír na nÓg**

1000 Hours, October 23, 2015

Task Force 119, International Waters, North Sea

"Holy cow…," gawked Susie. For the first time in her life, she truly could not find the words to say.

"It's like an entire city," said Tracie.

"What a sight…" said Capt. Reynolds and Wilson.

The 555th and some of the _Calypso_ 's crew were standing on the flight deck with their jaws open. For there, less than a kilometer away, was the _HMS Queen Elizabeth_ , flagship of the 23-ship Task Force 119.

The fleet had formed up with the _Calypso_ about four hours earlier, and a helicopter carrying Admiral David Tennant, the admiral of TF119, over to the old carrier. That was an incident in and of itself; long story short, the antsy 555th and _Calypso_ crew freaked out over the appearance of such an unfamiliar aircraft, nearly bringing it down with flak and Striker attacks. Once the chopper finally landed, the Admiral had some very coarse words to say to those responsible.

Now, after that fiasco was done, Maia and Adm. Tennant greeted each other, and set about making plans for what to do with the old ship and its crew. For that, the Admiral brought advanced communication equipment with him – his tablet with a video chat function on it – and contacted Air Chief Marshal Wendy Maloney and Admiral of the Fleet Hilda Andrews for the discussion. After hearing the story of how the _Calypso_ and the 555th JFW got here, they formulated a good plan.

Major Diana Evans expressed her and the 555th's desire to continue fighting Neuroi in any way they could, so Air Chf. Mshl. Maloney decided to have them ditch their old Strikers, and use some new jets. Adm. of the Fleet Andrews thought it best to dock the _Calypso_ at Rosyth Dockyard for an extensive overhaul to bring her up to modern standards, which she projected would take anywhere between 2 months to half a year.

To retrain the _Calypso_ 's crew in modern-day carrier operations, they were to be transferred to RNAS Culdrose, where they would go to the Royal Naval School of Flight Deck Operations. As for the aircraft mechanics and engineers, they were to be sent to RNAS Yeovilton to familiarize themselves in modern-day aircraft; the Striker mechanics, however, remained with the 555th. All witches in the 815th JAW, 413th JTFS, and 555th JFW were also to be transferred to RNAS Culdrose, where they would help the 555th retrain in their jets. Finally, Admiral Tennant was to bring the _Calypso_ to HMNB Devonport, take on another witch unit from Culdrose, and head back to their original area of operations.

With a plan set in place, Maloney and Andrews hung up, and the Admiral returned to the _Queen Elizabeth_. Maia, Lilo, and the rest of the modern-day witches also flew back to the _Queen_. The now-24-ship fleet sailed on back to Britannia.

* * *

0900 Hours, Same Day

Approaching RNAS Culdrose, Britannia

Over the Britannian Channel, a neat formation of four aircraft zoomed by at full military power, their fuselages covered in Karlsland Marineflieger livery. While three of them looked closely similar, one of the four stuck out like a sore thumb – a Panavia Tornado. It flew the number-two position in the formation; like a normal aircraft, it had a cockpit housing two pilots, a pair of jet engines, wings, and a single vertical stabilizer. Its cohorts, however, looked markedly different.

For one thing, the other three aircraft had no evidence of a cockpit, three jet engines, and two vertical stabilizers; frankly, the only similarity they shared with the Tornado were the swing-wings, and even they were different, having two joints. As they approached Culdrose, one more very striking difference became obvious.

First to land was the Tornado, and then the other three strange jets began…transforming. The two lower jets split from each other right up to their intakes, a part of the top split down the middle to form a pair of mechanical shoulders and arms, and a head popped up atop the shoulders, complete with red sensors and a blade antenna. These machinations went vertical, their jets and control surfaces re-angling downwards, and the nose split down the middle to form two huge and heavily-armed arms. With all the transforming done, the aircrafts' "pilots" were revealed: two mature-looking witches and one young-looking one. These witches taxied their strange Strikers, and parked next to the Tornado. Thankfully, they were able to use normal Striker cradles to dock theirs, so dismounting went smoothly.

As the new arrivals were squaring away their stuff, a van drove up, and a woman in a military uniform stepped out. She recognized one of the witches, and cracked a smile. "Glacia Aurora Locklear, as I live and breathe," said the woman, "You know, hearing that you were 'back in the saddle' was surprising news in and of itself. But this? This is a whole other level!"

The witch named Glacia turned around, and cracked a smile of her own. She jumped down from her Striker's cradle and ran over to the woman calling to her; the two embraced. "Wendy!" she said, "My goodness, it's been awhile. Look at you! _Air Chief Marshal_ , huh?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Wendy.

Another witch walked up next to Glacia, and straightened out her bangs. " _Herr Flotillenadmiral,_ you know the Air Chief Marshal of the RAF?" she asked.

"Most definitely, _Oberst_ Fried," said Glacia, "Maloney and I go way back. We saw action together over the Gulf."

"Wow," said Fried.

"So, Wendy, how've you been?" Glacia asked Maloney, "Have you heard from Nasir lately? How's she doing?"

"We can catch up later, love," said Maloney with a smile, "But, in the meantime, we've got some more pressing matters to discuss. Come on. I'll give you all a ride to HQ."

"Thanks!" said Glacia.

* * *

10-15 Minutes Later….

An office in RNAS Culdrose HQ

"The 316th Combined Air Group?" said Glacia.

"Yes," said Maloney, "A large force consisting of the remnants of the 815th JAW and 413th JTFS, the 575th ATES, the 555th JFW, a couple more additions from Indonesia, and now, MFG 0. As the oldest and most senior officer of the Group, I'm putting you in charge overall."

Glacia thought about it for a while, and then said, "But…if what you're saying is true, I don't know if I can. For one thing, two of the constituent squadrons are made up entirely of kids. And the 815th and 413th have just lost half of their forces to…a Time-Jump? The same Time-Jump that brought in this 555th JFW from 1945 to now? I just don't know if I can handle this many…."

"Look, I'm under a lot of pressure as it is," said Maloney, "A lot of boys in the brass are convinced the VYWEE Project won't work out, and they're pushing for its shutdown. I won't let that happen, especially now that the Field-Testing Phase is about to begin. But I need someone who could lead and help train up these girls. Someone with experience, and that's where you come in."

"There are a lot of other qualified trainers everywhere, Wendy. What makes me any different?"

"With age comes experience."

"You're just calling me old, aren't you?"

"Look," Wendy stood up, "Glacia, I'm asking you as a friend. I need your help. Please?"

Glacia thought about it for a little bit, but finally relented and took Maloney's request. "Deal."

"Thanks. Now, they should arrive here at 0820 tomorrow. I'll introduce you to them then. In the meantime, sit back, relax yourselves. We have enough time for some lunch."

"Sounds like a deal."

"Excellent. Let's go."

* * *

0800 Hours, October 24, 2015

HMNB Devonport, Britannia

TF119 returned home much earlier than scheduled, which surprised a lot of the bas personnel. But it didn't quite surprise the men as much as the company it brought with it: ship, aircraft, and Strikers that looked more at home in entirely other time.

"Oy, Winston," said one of the onlookers, "Get a look at that."

"Blimey, Charles," said Winston, the other onlooker, "What's that bucket o' bolts doin' 'ere?"

"I'm impressed it's even still working," said Charles, "Just look at all the smoke it's puttin' out."

"By God, it's thicker than a foggy morning in London."

"I haven't the slightest idea how TF119 found that old ship, or why they'd have to return so soon." Charles spotted movement on the deck of the old ship and the _Queen Elizabeth_. "Oh, looks like the witches are launchin' off."

* * *

Maia led her witches, along with the witches and aircraft of the 555th, off the _Calypso_ and the _Queen Elizabeth_ and towards RNAS Culdrose about 80km southwest from Devonport; the F3Fs' lower speeds meant that the normally 10-minute trip was doubled to 20 minutes. Nonetheless, all 35 witches plus the four biplanes made it safely to the airbase. Maia led everyone and followed a Follow-Me truck over to their designated hangar.

As they were making their way over, Air Chief Marshal Wendy Maloney and Flotillenadmiral Glacia Locklear watched them approach. "My God," said Glacia, "Are those little kids using _Wildcats and Hellcats?!_ And is that a _Havoc_?! Oh God, and that's a _PEASHOOTER! Fucking Biplanes and Lysanders, are you kidding me?!_ Remind me again, we are in the 21st Century, right? Why the hell are your VYWEE witches using stuff from the last century?"

"Oh, hush up, nutter," said Maloney, "That's the 555th…I think. The ones who were thrown forward in Time, supposedly by a Neuroi weapon…though I honestly didn't expect to see Lysanders, either."

"Uh-huh…" The eclectic procession of Strikers and Aircraft finally stopped in front of the hangar, filling the air with the sounds of piston and jet engines. "Well, one thing's for sure," shouted Glacia, "Not many things can beat the sounds of a piston engine!"

With the Strikers and planes now winding down, everyone began to dismount. Glacia noticed one of the little girls grab a pair of crutches, and another hop into a wheelchair. "Oh~? And they're disabled kids, too. I don't believe this!" By now, she had seen enough to make her laugh, and she cracked up so hard that everyone else heard her.

"Oy, get yourself together, Glacia," Maloney scolded, "You're already setting a bad impression."

Glacia wiped some tears from her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just, I saw the wheelchair, and that was it for me. Oh Jesus…" She chuckled once more, and finally calmed down.

Maloney shook her head, and then chuckled a bit herself. "Welcome to Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, boys and girls. 815, 413, welcome back."

"Good to be back, Air Chief Marshal," said Maia, "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"I'm just glad you girls were unaffected," said Maloney, "Well…mostly." She gestured to the 555th. "Now then, everyone. Please, gather round me for a moment. I'll lay out a plan."

The remnants of 815 and 413 gathered around the Air Chief Marshal; the 555th, noticing the behavior of the other witches, and the insignia on her uniform, also gathered up. It was then that Megan saw the name on the Air Chief Marshal's nametag. "Hey," she said, "You wouldn't be fucking related to – "

Maloney shut her up real quick with a look. "Yes. He was my great-grandfather. No. I am not proud of his actions in 1944. And no. I am not like him, despite having his name and rank. Now, if you will allow me to continue…"

"Sorry," said Megan.

"Ahem. Now, here are your orders. All witches present, plus a couple additions, are to be reorganized and compiled into a new Combined Air Group designated 316. Constituent units will be: 815th JAW, 413th JTFS, 555th JFW, 575th ATES, and MFG 0. There will also be a pair of witches from Indonesia joining us.

"Now, the 575th is due to arrive from HMNB Clyde sometime later today, and MFG 0 is a unit just in from Karlsland. In fact, their leader, Flotillenadmiral Glacia Locklear here, will take over as overall Commanding Officer of the 316th. Capt. Daigneau, you'll be Executive Officer."

 _"Oui, madame,"_ said Maia.

"Good," said Maloney, "I'll let _Flotillenadmiral_ Locklear take over from here."

"Thank you, Air Chief Marshal," Glacia said, stepping forward, "So, I've been thinking, since you guys and gals in the 555th need to be retrained to get used to jets and all that, I figured that it would be a lot easier and more efficient if we split you all up, and pair you with one of the 815 or 413 witches. How's that sound, Capt. Daigneau?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Maia, "Though, might I suggest that we only split them into their constituent Flights instead, and have a Flight of my own girls to supervise?"

"You know, I like that plan, too. I'll have the rest of MFG 0 assist in that matter. You know, young lady, you possess a talent for leadership."

"R-really?" Maia smiled shyly, "I….I'm still pretty new at this. Anyway, I'll have Major Evans explain the 555th organization."

Diana stepped forward, and explained, " _Flotillenadmiral,_ the 555th is divided into four Flights: Command, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Gamma is the Flight of F3F pilots, so they aren't witches."

"Thank you, Major Evans," said Glacia, "So….Captain Diagneau, how do you propose we split this up?"

"Hmmmm…" Maia thought about this for a little bit, then she turned to Maloney. "Air Chief Marshal, you mentioned this 575th ATES. What unit is that?"

"Ah," said Maloney, "That's the squadron of my Very Young Witch Evaluation Experiment, or the VYWEE Project, that I'm undertaking for the Fleet Air Arm. It's mostly kids around the 555th's age."

"Ooohh, sounds interesting," said Diana, "So, the top brass of the major militaries have finally come to their sense about us young witches, huh?"

"Well, that's the problem. There are still those who haven't. And with the field-testing phase coming up, I'm under a lot of pressure."

"Which is why she transferred them under our care," said Glacia.

"Well, with this new handful of younger witches coming in, I'd say we should hold off on making reassignments until they arrive."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," said Glacia with a smile, "So, let's go meet my unit, MFG 0."

* * *

Later that day….

A convoy of a busses and trucks pulled into the RNAS Culdrose gate, and stopped for an ID check. The gate guards were more than a little surprised to see that the busses were full of little kids, but they were witches, and they had military IDs, so they were authorized to come in. The guards let them through, and they drove on in.

Wing Commander Tetra Orca Tennant, a Britannian girl just 10 years old, let out a yawn. She and her unit, the 575th ATES, may have left HMNB Clyde at 10 in the morning, but the ride took several hours; by the time they arrived, the sun was already beginning its descent down the sky. But, the important thing was that they'd finally made it.

The busses finally stopped at the base parade grounds, and the girls on-board grabbed their things and got off. Waiting for them was a large group of older women, and a sizable of group of girls who appeared around the same age as them. A couple of the older women stepped forward, one of them being the RAF Air Chief Marshal. Tetra and the others of the 575th stood at attention and saluted.

"At ease, ladies," said Maloney, "Welcome to RNAS Culdrose. So, you were informed of the change of plans, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Tetra.

"Great," said Maloney, "So, as a part of the 316th CAG, you'll be preparing for the next phase of the VYWEE Project: your performance in the field."

The 575th girls perked up and began talking excitedly amongst each other, but returned to attention when Maloney held up a hand to quiet them down. She continued.

"Now, I'll turn it over to your new CO and XO: _Flotillenadmiral_ Glacia Locklear of the Karlsland _Marineflieger_ , and _Captaine de Vaisseau_ Maia Daigneau of the Gallian _Aéronavale_."

"Thanks, Wendy," said Glacia with a smile, "Hello, girls. I'm _Flotillenadmiral_ Glacia Locklear. For the record, I'm a native from Alaska who transferred into the _Marineflieger_. And I'm 34."

Everyone froze, all with the same question on their minds. "How…?"

"Well, I lost my ability when I turned 21, but it turned out that I still had magic energy in me, so I rejoined the Air Force, and got transferred into the Marineflieger to help them test out their new project."

"Uh-huh," said Maia, who herself was surprised.

"Ah, and this is _Captaine de Vaisseau_ Daigneau, mine and your XO." Glacia stepped back to let Maia speak.

"Thanks, _Flotillenadmiral_ ," said Maia.

"Please, just call me Glacia," said Glacia with a smile.

"Okay, _Mademoiselle_ Glacia."

"Hnnng! You look so~ cute when you speak Gallian, ufufufu~…"

Maia stared wide-eyed at Glacia, then turned back to the 575th. "…Anyway, you girls are 13-strong, no?"

"11," said Tetra, "The two older girls with us are helpers, and honorary members of the Haiku Witches. That's our name, by the way, since our number is the syllables to a haiku poem. 2nd Lt. Shinozaki came up with the idea."

"I see," said Maia, "So, young Wing Commander, how do you propose we group your girls so that training and preparation can be facilitated?"

"Well," said Tetra, "The O'Hara quadruplets must always be kept together, on account of their mental connection ability, I know that for certain. Apart from that, you are free to group us up as you please, _Captaine_."

" _Merci beaucoup, demoiselle_ ," said Maia, "Now, there's another unit here with the same amount of witches, all at the same range of ages, as you girls. Now, my unit is 23-strong, and _Flotillenadmiral_ Locklear – ahem, I mean Glacia's – unit has three more witches. Plus another two from Indonesia, that makes 28 older witches to the total of 22 younger ones, a 14-11 ratio."

"That means about 1 younger witch per 1 or 2 older ones," said Glacia.

"Right," said Maia, "Now, the 555th has three flights, four witches in two of them and three witches in one, and the O'Haras are quadruplets, leaving us with seven in the 575th. Now, having 4-8 witches to instruct just 4 would be too overwhelming. So, if we could do, say, 2 older witches for every four younger ones, it would be less stressful. We may have a surplus, but that's okay."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," said Glacia, "We can go square this away tomorrow. As for right now, let's just mingle and mix over dinner."

"Al-right!" said Tetra excitedly, "I'm starving!"

The newly-completed 316th Combined Air Group spent the rest of that evening breaking the ice and getting to know each other. However, one of the witches wasn't seen amongst the gaggle.

* * *

Captain 1st Rank Nina Dina Denisova left the on-base restaurant soon after she finished her meal; she told Maia that she was feeling rather tired, and wanted to go to bed early. Unwrapping a piece of gum from its foil, she stuffed it in her mouth, and jammed her hands in her jacket pockets – autumn nights on the Britannian coast are quite nippy.

She continued, quickening her pace, passing the barracks. She began hearing the sounds of jets and aircraft. Over this arose whispers and echoes of an all-too-familiar voice. _Nina…Nina…Can you hear me?! Nina!_

The sounds of the engines began to rise in pitch, magnifying the echoes with it. Nina's breath and heart rate quickened. _Nina! Nina! You need to get out of there! NINA!_

The engines now filled the air with their roars! It was as if Nina was completely surrounded by them; she could feel it vibrating in her bones and gut! She stumbled and fell to her knees, heart and breath going a mile a minute. She clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut, trying futilely to block out the din and roar. _NINA! NINA! MONSTER! YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT YOUR FAULT!_

Suddenly, everything went quiet. Nina looked up, and realized that she was kneeling on the sidewalk, with tears streaking down her face. She noticed some people some distance away, across the street. Before they noticed her, she got back up, dusted off her legs, and wiped her face.

Nina's thoughts went the young new arrivals. _Little kids going to war. Unbelievable._ She stuffed another piece of gum into her mouth, and walked on into the frigid night.

 **[End of Chapter 10]**

* * *

 _And so marks the end of the first double-digit chapter! Chugging along, we are! Aw Yiss! Anywho, I'm thinking of not only cutting down on chapter length, but picking up the pace, especially now that we've got all characters introduced, for the most part. Got a lot in store, but it's all for later. So, on to the next one!_

 _The title, Tír na nÓg, is from the song of the same name by Celtic Woman. In Gaelic, it means "Land of the Young", one of their names for the Otherworld. It's often depicted as a land of eternal youth, beauty, health, and abundance of joy. Sounds like my kind of place!_

 _K bye now._


	12. Chapter 11: Gonna Fly Now

_Alrighty! How are you fine people doing today? Or tonight? Or…whenever? Hehe. Let's hop to it, then._

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Gonna Fly Now**

0600 Hours, October 25, 2015

RNAS Culdrose, Britannia

As the sun began to peak over the horizon, Squadron Leader Donna Duffy and Lt. Ludmila Mijasik grabbed their instruments and headed out to the parade grounds. This week was their turn to do the morning call. It being a Sunday, Dee Dee and Ludmila decided to play a hymn.

As the Union Jack was raised, the sounds of bagpipes and snare drum filled the air with "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", magnified throughout the entire base with microphones and loudspeakers. Those who haven't yet woken up stirred from their sleep, and those already outside stood at attention facing the flag.

Soon, the flag was at full staff, and Dee Dee and Ludmila finished off the last note. They headed back to their barracks.

* * *

Meanwhile…Near the hospital

Utari Jarumah Putri ran as fast as she could throughout the base. She and Dewi had just been told that the 815th JAW had made an unscheduled return to Britannia, and they were in fact right here in RNAS Culdrose. So she'd been asking around, trying to get their whereabouts; an extremely tall order when your born mute.

She would stop a person, and show them the question, "Can you please point me to the 815th JAW?" written on her notepad. Unfortunately, up until now, nobody could tell her where she could find the 815th. She was beginning to lose hope. _But this is for Dewi,_ she thought to herself, _if the 815_ _th_ _'s healers are as great as I've been told, then I have to keep trying._ She said a silent prayer to God, and kept going.

Suddenly, she spotted a couple of women in witch uniforms, and ran up to them – one had a snare drum strapped on, and the other had a strange instrument Utari had been told were called 'bagpipes'. Tapping the one with the curly ginger hair and bagpipes, she got their attention, and showed them the question on her notepad. To add urgency to her question, she put on a desperate face. The two looked at each other and smiled.

"You're in luck, lass," said the ginger-haired lady; Utari now noticed that she also had freckles. "Ludmila and I just happen to be a part of the 815th. Squadron Leader Donna Duffy, RAF. And this is Lt. Ludmila Mijasik, Orussian Air Force."

Utari shook hands for both of them, breathing a sigh of deep relief, and then signed her own introduction in response.

"Ah, I'm sorry, lass," said Donna, "But neither of us can understand sign-language."

Utari tore out the page on her notepad with her old question, and instead wrote out her introduction on the next page. 'I'm Kapten Utari Jarumah Putri, of the Indonesian Air Force.'

"Huh. Well, hello, Capt. Putri," said Donna, "Why are you looking for the 815th?"

'It's for my sister. Neuroi-infection,' Utari wrote.

"Hmmmm…Neuroi infection, you say?" said Donna, "You must be looking for Lt. Cdr. Kaminari and Lt. Clostermann."

Utari perked up and nodded with a bright smile.

Donna and Ludmila looked at each other, and then back at Utari. "Lass," said Donna slowly, "I think you'd better come with us."

Utari nodded again, this time less perky, and followed the two witches back to the barracks. When they all got there, Utari was directed to a Captain Daigneau, who sat her down in her room. " _Ben….euh…_ how should I say this," said Maia, unsure of herself, "There was an incident with the planes carrying some of our witches, and we have lost contact with them. I'm sorry, Capt. Putri. But I'm afraid we have lost our two only healers."

Utari felt all the hope and happiness leave her, and she broke down crying.

"However," continued Maia, "we do know a couple of young healers who may be able to help you."

Utari felt her spirits soar again. There's still hope that her sister's Neuroi-Infection could be stopped from spreading – she accepted that such an infection could not be completely cured, but as long as her sister wouldn't become a Human Neuroi Loyalist, she was content.

'Can we go get them now?' Utari wrote.

 _"Bien sûr, mademoiselle,"_ said Maia, "Let's go."

* * *

About 15 minutes later…

RNAS Culdrose Hospital

Wendy O'Brian and Mary O'Brian of the 555th JFW, and a girl from the 575th ATES named Aryll, were gathered in Dewi Ayu Putri's room, along with Utari, her sister, and Maia. Mary and Aryll both were fused with their familiars, and were applying their special healing magic to Dewi's Neuroi-infected areas; although Wendy was also a healer witch, her magic was more of the regular kind, while Mary and Aryll possessed _Astral Healing_ – a very special and rare form of healing magic that had only just received its name; it not only heals physical injuries, but also brings body, mind, and soul to mint condition, sort-of like a magic "factory reset". Wendy was just there to supervise her younger cousin, who was just a year-and-a-half.

While Mary and Aryll – Aryll, interestingly-enough, being a descendent of Wendy's – were going to work, Dewi began to stir from her sleep, and she began to quietly moan in a strange mixture of pain and pleasure. Her face soon began to contort into grimaces of pain, and her voice began to match her expressions. Utari grew greatly concerned, and tried to motion for Mary and Aryll to stop – not too easy when you're mute.

"Let them do their work, Capt. Putri," said Maia, sitting next to her, "I know it seems it hurts, but it's helping." Maia placed a hand on Utari's shoulder. Utari nodded and relaxed a little.

Dewi's moans escalated to cries of agony, and she was writhing in her bed. Whatever relaxation Utari had hoped to get now had gone, and she grabbed Maia's hand and squeezed hard. But, surprisingly, Dewi's infection wasn't merely halted, but it was being… _cured!_

 _"Incroyable!"_ said an astonished Maia.

Utari slowly signed, ' _Luar biasa,'_ an Indonesian translation of the same word.

After some more time, not without its fair share of cries and squirms, Dewi's Neuroi Infection was completely ousted, and her body was as good as new. In fact, she felt so good and energized, that she removed the IVs and electrodes off her body and hopped off her bed with a bright smile on her face.

"Golly gee, I feel newer than a television fresh out the store!" Dewi shouted with glee. She walked right over to her sister Utari, and gave her a big hug. "Look, Utari," she said, this time in a markedly-different tone, "I'm cured. It's gone. The Neuroi Infection is gone."

Utari was extremely happy, so much so that she had tears in her eyes. 'I'm so happy that you're better. I thought I was going to lose you.'

"Aw, Utari," said Dewi, "You and I both know we aren't going anywhere. Now, to thank my healers. Where's Dr. Smith?" Dewi looked around.

'Actually,' signed Utari, 'It was those two girls over there.' Utari pointed to Mary and Aryll.

"Them? Really?" Dewi said in slight shock, "Well, judging by the animal parts sticking out their bodies, I'd say they're witches." Dewi walked over to the two, and gave them each hugs. "I cannot begin to thank you both enough for curing me."

"You're welcome," said Aryll.

"I heal!" Mary triumphantly declared.

"So, what exactly does a Neuroi Infection do?" asked Wendy.

"It spreads throughout the body," said Dewi, "And when it reaches the brain, it drives its victim nuts, and turns them into a minion of the Neuroi. Not a fate I want to share with the millions of others already in such a state."

"M-millions?" asked a shocked Wendy.

"Uh-huh," said Dewi, "Anyway, what are we standing around here for? Let's go and enjoy this awesome new day."

"Yes," said Maia, "Plus, since you and your sister have been assigned to our unit, I think it's time I should introduce you to your new CO."

* * *

Ten minutes later…

316th CAG Hangar Meeting Room

 _Flotillenadmiral_ Glacia Locklear looked around at the large group of witches gathered in front of her; somehow, she was to whip this eclectic group of girls into a functioning combat unit, all within the course of just two to three months. She shivered a little at the amount of hard work that was to come, but she shrugged it off, and brought her mind back to the task at hand. Clearing her throat, she spoke up.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, "We've got a lot to get done today, so let's all pay attention. First up, I'd like you all to welcome in our final two additions: _Kapten_ Utari Jarumah Putri and _Letnan Satu_ Dewi Ayu Putri, both from the Indonesian Air Force."

"Hey, everyone," said Dewi, "I'm Dewi, and this is my sister Utari. She's mute, so she uses sign language and a notepad. I translate for her."

A wave from the crowd got Dewi's attention, and she said, "Yes ma'am? What is it?"

The waver stood up, and gave her question in sign language, '1st Lt. Zhu Lijuan of the Republic of China Air Force. I'm also mute, so would you be willing to translate for me, as well?'

"Sure thing, no problem," said Dewi.

Lijuan motioned her thanks and sat back down.

"Awesome!" said Glacia, "Now, I'm sure you're all aware of the Time-Jump Incident that brought the 555th Joint Fighter Wing to the modern era from 70 years ago. According to their records, they are an experienced combat unit, despite their age. However, the skies in which they fought are much different from the skies that we modern witches fight in, so the task has fallen to us to reequip and reeducate these girls up to our standards and tactics. Aside from that, the 575th Air Test and Evaluation Squadron is entering the combat-testing phase of the VYWEE Project, so we must also get them prepared for that, as well.

"As such, we only have two to three months to complete this task, so Maia and I have come up with a way to try and complete this in a timely manner. We have decided to reassign all of the younger witches, and pair them up with one of us older witches. The older witch will act as a mentor and teacher, and teach their charge everything they need to know. Maia will read the assignments, and they will appear on the projector display behind me."

Glacia stepped aside for Maia to announce the reassignments, and a projector powered up overhead. Maia cleared her throat and began announcing the new pairings. "Major Diana Evans of the 555th and Lieutenant Zelda Jablonski Morris of the 575th will be put under the care of Lieutenant Colonel Lucy Guerrera."

Behind her, the screen displayed Lucy's name next to Diana's and Zelda's. Quiet chatter arose from the 555th group. " _Jablonski Morris?_ Could that mean…?" Maia continued.

"Colonel Latonya Evans Morris of the 575th will be paired with Lt. (JG) Kenzie Pelletier."

Again, the screen displayed the names, and again, more chatter. _"Latonya Evans fucking Morris?_ What, is that other fucking unit full of our fucking great-grandkids?"

"Sergeant Tracie Osborn of the 555th will be paired with Sr. Lt. Vera Choibalsan."

No chatter this time. But Tonya and Tracie did sigh sadly, since it seemed they wouldn't be paired together.

"Sublieutenant Melodia Cenni of the 575th will be paired with Major Nagase Miyuki. Sgt. Latonya Morris of the 555th will be paired with Capt. Raina Moreau. Sgt. Susan Garibaldi will be paired with Lt. Cdr. Juliet Lemay. Captain Aryll O'Brian Cummings will be paired with Lt. Ludmila Mijasik."

Maia was a little surprised inside that she got through all those names without hearing any chatter, so she kept going. "Now, since the O'Hara quadruplets of the 575th possess their Mind Link abilities, the CO and I felt it was best to keep them together, so I assigned them all with Squadron Leader Donna Duffy. Will that be okay with you, Dee Dee?"

Dee Dee nodded and smiled. "Ah, don't worry about me, lass," she said with confidence, "I'm of age to find a good man someday. What better way to practice my motherin' skills?"

Maia smiled, and got back on track. "Sgt. Lynn Kim of the 555th will be paired with Major Bella Guerrera."

"Guerrera? Didn't we already hear her get two young witches?" This time, the chatter returned. "Maybe it's her sister, or something."

Maia ignored it, and continued. "Capt. Megan Wilson and Cpl. Cindy Jablonski of the 555th will be paired with Captain 1st Rank Nina Dina Denisova. That wraps it up for the 815th pairings, so, everyone else, pay closer attention."

In the crowd, Nina glared and put a piece of gum in her mouth.

"Sgt. Anne Heikenin of the 555th will be paired with 2nd Lt. Sun-hwa Kwon of the 413th. Lt. Caroline Jawarski of the 555th will be paired with Sr. Lt. Marisha Putin of the 413th. 2nd Lt. Medli Jawarski Lewis will be paired with 1st Lt. Connie Lampert of the 413th."

"Jawarski….Lewis? Does that mean…?"

Maia kept on. "Wing Commander Tetra Orca Tennant and 2nd Lt. Shinozaki Sadako will be paired with the Putri sisters. Technically, it would be one young witch to one older witch, but since Utari is mute, she'll need to stay with her sister to help Wing Commander Tennant understand her instructions. Now, last but not least, Capt. Wendy O'Brian of the 555th will be paired up with Lt. Maritza Kaufman of _Marinefliegergeschwader_ 0\. That's the assignments, ladies. And now, a word from Air Chief Marshal Maloney."

"Thank you, Captain," said Maloney, stepping forward, "Now, you young girls, treat your mentors with the utmost respect and courtesy, even if they may be of lower rank than you, is that understood?"

A "Yes, ma'am!" resounded from all of the 555th and 575th girls.

"Good," continued Maloney, "As for the 555th's Gamma Flight, I will arrange to have them train up right here with 736 Naval Air Squadron, and the Lysander crews will train in operating helicopters with 705 Naval Air Squadron in RNAS Shawbury. As for the team of UPASRC engineers attached to the 575th, I want you to start working on jet Strikers properly sized for the 555th girls. Have them ready by the time we complete their training, got that?"

"Understood, ma'am," said a teenage-looking girl with a nametag that read 'Darla', "We'll hop right to it. Oh, uh, before we go, um…."

"Oh, right," said Maloney, "All 555th girls must report to Darla Evans, the Chief Engineer of the UPASRC team, so that she could get your measurements for your new Striker Units. That'll be all now. Dismissed."

As Maloney left, the witches and airmen milled about the meeting room, and others began to file out. The 555th girls proceeded to see Darla to get their measurements taken; needless to say, it was quite a surprise to see an older girl who seemed to be the spitting image of the Darla they knew. The possibility of whether or not she really was their Darla was raised, but then quickly dropped since the age difference wouldn't make any sense; when they asked this modern-day Darla if they knew their Darla, she smiled and said they're…related, but gave no further answer.

Sun-hwa Kwon, whom everyone calls just Sun, also decided to help with the measuring and plan-making, even if she also had to mentor Anne. While taking Tonya's and Tanisha's measurements, she took notice of their polio-stricken legs. "Hey, how would you like to not have to sit in a wheelchair all the time, or carry crutches?" she said.

"That would be nice, I guess," said Tonya, "But I don't see how we could just get up and walk around. We're…lame…"

"Never stopped me," said Sun, and she held up her mechanical robot arm, a replacement after an accident with sheet metal severed her original arm, "My dad makes these for me; he's an engineer, and real handy with stuff. If you want, I could call him and ask him to make you some leg braces. And not just any old pair of leg braces. These won't merely help you stand, oh no; with these new braces, you could walk!"

Tonya and Tanisha stared wide-eyed at the suddenly-excited Sun.

"So, what do you say?"

Thinking for a moment, both girls said, "Yes."

"Al-right! I'll take your measurements now, and then make the calculations, and then call up my dad, and then, you'll be walking again."

"Walking…"

* * *

Meanwhile…

Just outside meeting room

Nina had stepped out as soon as Maloney dismissed everyone. She immediately began briskly walking out to the flight line. _Why?_ she thought in her mind. _Why must you come back to haunt me, Eva?_ She needed to clear her head. She then heard the meeting room door clicking open, and then the shuffling of feet.

"Um, excuse me. Hey, Captain 1st Rank Denisova. Um, we're supposed to fucking report to you for training."

Nina stopped, and turned around to face the two little girls calling for her. Giving them a quick once-over, she glared and said, "No, you are not." With that, she turned around and kept walking.

"Yes, we fucking are," said the taller one; she could hear them trying to catch up with her.

"God dammit," said Nina, turning around. She stared at the two girls with creased brows. A few tense seconds of silence passed, and then, Nina said, "What are your names?"

"I'm Captain Megan Wilson, and this is Corporal Cindy Jablonski."

"And your ages?"

"I'm 5, and Cindy's 2 and ½."

"And I take it you've seen 'combat'?"

"Yes we fucking have. Cindy's got 11 kills now."

"Yeah, me kill aw Neuwoi fo' Daddy," Cindy said.

Nina chuckled snidely. "Huh. So you must think you got it all figured out, eh?"

"Yup!" Cindy stood proudly.

Nina stared back at them, still with a frown. Then, she sighed, and said, "Do as you're told. Don't get too close to anyone." With that, Nina stuffed a piece of gum in her mouth, and turned back to head to the hangar.

Megan and Cindy still stood there, alone in the hallway. "What the fuck is her problem?"

As if on cue, a voice rose up, saying, "Do not worry about it." Megan and Cindy turned around; it was Ludmila, with Aryll in tow. Ludmila continued, "She and I came from the same unit, the 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, Orussian Navy. She had seen things that left a pretty big impression on her. Do not ask what they are, and pay attention to what she says. Will you do that for me?"

"Okay," said Megan, "But she better not fucking be mean to me. I may be fucking young, but I have combat experience."

"Me too," said Cindy.

"Do not give her any trouble, and you'll survive," said Ludmila, "Oh, also, the Air Chief Marshal wants all the 555th members to the hangar, so follow Nina out." With that, she headed out with Aryll.

Megan and Cindy looked at each other, and headed out to the hangar. There, they saw all their squadron mates – both witch and pilot – along with Glacia and Maia, in a neat line facing the hangar's closed main door. Outside, they could hear the sounds of jets whining and roaring away. Once Megan and Cindy joined them in line next to Nina, Glacia began to speak.

"Forget everything you think you know about combat," she began, "How you fought back then, how many kills you have, how others think of you, how you think of yourselves. None of that matters. Because here, things are different. You will fly at speeds you could never think possible, at altitudes you never thought reachable, in places you never thought plausible, fighting enemies you never thought could crawl out of whatever hellhole they crawled out of. If there is any among you who does not wish to do this, you can walk out now, and we won't think any less of you."

Every witch and pilot in the line stood fast, albeit a little taller to really show that they weren't going anywhere. At that moment, the hangar's main doors opened, revealing the neat lines of the 815th, 413th, 575th, and MFG 0 all fully equipped. Their Striker Units hummed and roared, and they all had the blue magic circles rotating beneath them. Behind them, Hawk trainer jets and Strikers were also lined up. All in all, it was a sight to behold.

Glacia smiled. "Good. Then let's see what you've got."

 **[End of Chapter 11]**

* * *

 _*Humming Rocky theme*_

 _Oh, ah. Sorry. Now, the title song is…the Rocky theme. Yeah, you know how it goes. Also, the hymn in the beginning is a pretty old hymn, and it sounds absolutely wonderful on bagpipes._

 _Anyway, that about wraps it up here. I might visit the girls stuck in 1940 with the 507_ _th_ _sometime soon, so be ready for that. Now, you all have a wonderful life._

 _K bye now._


	13. Chapter 12: To Our Surprise

_Yo! In this installment, we return to the year 1940, where the 507_ _th_ _JFW and their futuristic counterparts will be called to action in defense of Suomus._

* * *

 **Chapter 12: To Our Surprise**

0830 Hours, 23 October, 1940

Kauhava Airbase, Suomus

It's been a day since the Mother Bird arrived, bringing with it a world from a time far beyond what Tomoko and the 507th JFW imagined possible. It almost seemed too good to be true, a trick of the mind, or a very immersive dream. Yet, here they were, sitting with them all, eating breakfast and enjoying a hot cup of tea.

Thanks to Kaminari's medical expertise and healing magic, Stefanie was out of the hospital, and looked quite healthy; however, her Cognitive Recalibration hadn't improved since, and she still couldn't recognize the others she came with, much less communicate in Britannian. Despite this, the future-witches seemed optimistic about her eventual recovery. So, here they all sat, talking amongst themselves about what the day might hold for them.

Giuseppina seemed to take quite an interest in the future-witches, most specifically the one named Anko, supposedly Tomoko's great-granddaughter. "I think I'll go ask her about life in the future," she said, "That way, when I go back with her, I'll know how to live and act and stuff."

"How do you know that would be a good thing?" said Haruka. She was happy that she now didn't have to compete for Tomoko, but she didn't think Giuseppina going into the future would be safe for anyone, "Nobody has any idea what that might do to…you know….time….or something."

"Well…you may be right," said Giuesppina sadly, "I'll still talk to her anyway. I am still curious."

With an air of confidence, she stood up, and marched right up to where Anko was sitting, and sat down next to her. She began to ask her questions about life 75 years into the future. Anko explained all she could in as much detail as she could. Eventually, Giuseppina's expression began to change, and her confidence began to disappear, replaced with intimidated awe. The way Anko spoke, the way she seemed to exude this intense atmosphere of energetic amiability, just simply blew Giuseppina away. She was convinced now more than ever to run away into the future with this girl.

Still, the question remained of what to do for the day. There were no reports of any Neuroi contacts – there haven't been for months now – and with the gargantuan Mother Bird still stuck in the dirt at the end of the runway, there wasn't enough space for anyone to take off for training flights. "If nothing will be done about that gigantic plane on our runway," said Tomoko, "What will we do when, or if, the Neuroi come back?"

Aya Amundsen, a dead-eyed future-witch Captain from Baltland, stood up from her seat, "Leave that to me." It seemed that despite her blank stare and empty eyes, everyone gravitated towards her, wanting to be around her.

"How…exactly?" asked Ursula Hartmann.

"My ability," said Aya.

"Ability?"

"Each of us has in ourselves at least one unique intrinsic ability," Aya explained, "In my case, I have three, one of which will come in handy right now." With that, Aya stood up, and headed out to the airfield. Everyone followed her out.

Outside, Aya fused with her familiar, and made straight for the runway. The rest gathered back near the hangars. "What exactly is she gonna do?" Katharine asked, "That plane is ginormous, and she's only one girl."

"She did mention something about an intrinsic ability," said Ursula, "But gave no further insight on what those are, or why they'd be useful right about now."

"Don't you guys know about magical abilities?" asked Anko, "You are witches, after all."

"No, we haven't heard about those," said Beurling, "See, most of our magic is used up in flying our Strikers. We don't have any extra to use for anything else."

"Huh," said Anko, "Well, prepare to be amazed, then."

"Oh, believe me, I already am," said Giuseppina with an innuendo-like tone, as she stared at Anko with eyes full of desire.

Too far from all of this to hear, Aya held out her hands towards the great Mother Bird, which suddenly began glowing blue. Then, without warning, the plane began to _levitate into the air!_ Tomoko and the others were shocked, even the future-witches. Walking back towards the hangars, Aya brought the levitating Mother Bird towards the witches. Then, she slowly lowered her hands until the Mother Bird touched down as gently as a mother putting down her sleeping baby. Her task complete, Aya turned around and smiled; by now, 1st Squadron, the Mother Bird's crew, and even Squadron Leader Häkkinen had joined the awestruck onlookers.

"Your runway is now clear, ma'am," Aya said to Häkkinen, "We're back in business."

"Th-…thank you," Häkkinen stammered, "I was just on my way here to discuss that with your commanding officer."

"That would be me, ma'am," said Anko, stepping forward, "Lt. Col. Anabuki Anko, Fuso Air Self Defense Force. Technically, that would be Fuso's air force from my time."

"Ah, I see," said Häkkinen, "Well, if you would please come with me, so we can discuss future operations. P/O Anabuki, F/L Ahonoen, you, too."

"Yes, ma'am, right behind you," said Anko, Tomoko, and Ahonen.

* * *

15 minutes later…

All the witches sat around in the hangar, when the three commanding officers came in with S/L Häkkinen. "Everyone," said Häkkinen, "Thank you for coming in. After some discussion, we have all come up with a viable operation plan. Lieutenant Colonel Anabuki will take it from here." For the longest time, Häkkinen was the highest ranking officer on the base; now, with the arrival of the future-witches, that title was given to Anko. Needless to say, the Squadron Leader felt a little awkward giving orders to a superior – she's still the base commander, after all.

Anko stepped forward. "Alright, girls, gather around the map table," she said.

The witches got as close as comfortable – easier said than done, especially when you've got two witches as lewd and sexual as Sakomizu Haruka and Giuseppina Cenni in that group – and listened as close as they could to what Anko had to say.

"Although the Neuroi haven't been sighted anywhere in recent time, past events have told us that they usually come in from the north, here," Anko said, pointing to a spot on the map, "So, we'll focus the patrol areas on that sector."

"Since you future-witches are still unfamiliar with the area," said Tomoko, "We all decided to have you pair up with a witch from the current time during your patrols."

"Furthermore, you future-witches also need to be familiarized with the base," said F/L Ahonen, "My sisters and I will assist in that matter."

"Any and all help we can get will be much appreciated," said Anko, "Thanks."

"You're quite welcome," said Ahonen.

"Anyway, here are the assignments," Anko began tracing out the route to take, and everyone's positions on the map, "We'll head north, and split up into our respective Flights at this point, here. Capt. Amundsen will fly AWACS. Those of us, uh, 'future-witches', will be paired with our corresponding ancestor. Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu will be paired with Flight Sergeant, 1st Class Sakomizu, I will be paired with Flying Officer Anabuki, and so on. Flight Sergeant Hartmann and Warrant Officer Cenni however, will be paired with Lt. Col. Kleinheyer and Major Korbel, respectively. The Leivonens will fly with Aya as her escorts. The rest of you will be on standby. Got all that?"

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good," said Anko, "Let's mount up, girls."

"Wooh!" shouted Marie, "Let's go and kick some Neuroi ass!"

"Yeah!" said the other future-witches. Everyone began filing out to the hangars, where they're Strikers were waiting.

* * *

A little while later…

Kauhava Air Base airfield

With a metallic hiss, Tomoko put her sword, _Hizen Osafune_ , into its sheath, and cocked her weapon; she was already in her Ki-44 Striker, and stood tall and confident, her fox familiar's ears and tail flapping in the breeze – the prime image of a witch, and quite a sight to behold. Haruka, also fully equipped and in her A6M Striker, was practically drooling, with all manner of crazy thoughts running through her mind. Giuseppina seemed also the same way. They both began slowly advancing on Tomoko, who unsuccessfully tried to keep them at bay with a deep frown.

Just before they could pounce, a chorus of hums rising in pitch came out of the open tail ramp of the Mother Bird – no one had yet removed all of the future-witches' equipment from the huge plane; amazingly, not a piece was ruined when that Aya girl moved it with her Telekinesis. One by one, the future-witches taxied out from the back of the plane with a loud roar mixed with a whine. This sound terrified and exhilarated the 507s, for they have never heard such powerful sound from a Striker before, much less seen such a machine. Each one had a unique and sleek shape, with just as varied wing and control surface layouts. Quite a few seemed to be painted in gray, some in lighter shades than others. Kaminari was one of the exceptions, as her Striker was painted in different shades of blue. Anko was another exception, and quite one at that.

Like Tomoko, she wore a miko uniform, though with some rather "futuristic" touches to it, such as a nametag, pockets, and what looks like a few patches. Her Striker was the real eye-catcher. Icy fractals of blue and white covered their bodies, left wing, and control surfaces, with patches of gray in certain areas; in sharp contrast to the icy motif on the rest of her Striker's body, the right wing was painted bright crimson-red. As she came up next to Tomoko, the others could see that a large white Sakura flower outlined in red was emblazoned on the back of her uniform. The sight of her, hare ears sprouting from her head and fluffy tail sprouting from her butt, was great enough to cause Giuseppina and even Haruka to shift their attention to Anko.

"No matter how many times I've seen you fully equipped, you never cease to amaze me," said Kaminari. She adjusted the strap of her medkit, along with the Red Cross armband on her right arm. "Just look at those two. They look about ready to worship you, or…do some…l-lewd….ahem, things to your body."

Anko smiled challengingly. "Let them try," she said, "Now, enough lollygagging. The sooner we get into the air, the better." Upon saying that, she flipped down her Head-Mounted Display screen in front of her right eye, and taxied to the runway. Kaminari did the same, and followed her out. The rest of the future-witches followed suit, with the 507th lining up beside them. Sarah Beurling and Alisa Leivonen also took the opportunity to quickly power on their Go Pro mini-cameras mounted on the other side of their headsets, the right side being occupied by their HMDs. Once at the runway, each of them took off one by one, formed up into their respective Flights, and together headed off north.

* * *

Watching them go, the rest of the future witches, along with the 1st Squadron, waved a temporary farewell. F/L Ahonen stepped forward. "Now then, let's have you future-witches paired up with at least one or two of my beautiful sisters, and we'll tour you around the base, and possibly take you around the nearby town of Slussen."

A particularly beautiful little creature caught her eye amongst the group of future-witches, and she leaned over and whispered into Kaia's ear, "You partner with Major Wrightman. I'll take that young beauty over there."

"Yes, ma'am, Sister," said Kaia. She walked over to Jasmine and they headed out to do their tour.

F/L Ahonen strode up to the young twin-tailed girl. "You're with me, young lady," she said with a sly smile.

The young girl looked up to her with shy eyes, magnified by her thick-framed glasses. "Oh…okay. I'm, um, Ensign Sun Meifeng of the 815th Joint Air Wing, and o-originally from the Republic of China Naval Air Force." Sun adjusted her glasses, and tugged at her sleeve, as if fearful of F/L Ahonen.

Ahonen was almost overcome by this wave of cuteness emanating from Sun. But she did her best to compose herself, and brought an arm around Meifeng's shoulder. "There's no need to be scared of me," she said comfortingly, "I don't bite, ufufufu~. Now, before I show you my world, I want you to show me yours."

"Um…O…okay," said Meifeng. The two made their way to the large plane.

* * *

Not too long later…

Next to the Mother Bird

Ahonen and Meifeng walked together beside the gargantuan size of the Mother Bird, heading towards the open tail ramp. F/L Ahonen still couldn't believe such a huge-sized thing could even take to the skies; no engine she knew could ever accomplish such an impossible task. "Tell me, young Sun, how exactly this aircraft could stay aloft?" she asked Meifeng.

"O-oh, well, you see, it has jet engines," said Meifeng, pointing to the cylindrical objects hanging from the wings "A-and, you don't have to be so formal with me."

"Formal?" asked Ahonen, "How do you mean?"

"Sun is my surname, Meifeng is my name."

"Ohohohoho!" Ahonen smiled. "Okay, Meifeng, explain how those – what did call them – jet engines work."

"Well, see, air enters through the front end, and then is compressed through a series of fans. While that happens, fuel is injected into the compressed air, and then the mixture is ignited. This contained explosion is shot out the back, providing the propulsion. With these four engines, the Mother Bird can go up to speeds of just over 500 knots."

 _Impossible,_ thought Ahonen in awe and disbelief, _My 109s can only manage 346 knots._ Curious for more insight on the Mother Bird, she wrapped her arm around Meifeng, and leaned close to her ear. "You know, you're quite smart," she whispered coquettishly.

Meifeng seemed to shrink under Ahonen's arm. "No, I'm not," she said quietly, "I was merely restating what I had learned from flight school."

"The fact that you retained what you had learned to restate it to me only proves that you are in fact smart," said Ahonen, "Cheer up, my lovely girl. You're much cuter when you smile."

Meifeng smiled a little bit. It did feel good to be praised for something every once in a while. She began to cry a little.

"My, whatever did I say to cause you to cry?" asked Ahonen.

Meifeng wiped her face. "I-it's nothing. Really," she said, "It's just…you reminded me a lot of my friend and mentor. She believed in me when I wouldn't believe in myself. I really miss her, and now that we've been stuck in 1940…I just…" Meifeng felt fresh tears well up in her eyes.

Something about this girl brought out something in Ahonen that she couldn't quite explain. Normally, she would be all over cute young girls like this, shoving and rubbing her hands in their special places. But Meifeng….she couldn't just do that to her. Instead, she felt like she wanted to curl the girl up in a hug and care for her. "Oh, young girl," said Ahonen, embracing Meifeng, "Don't you worry. I'm here. If you'd like a friend and a mentor, why don't you join my squadron?"

"I'd love to," said Meifeng, "Though I don't know if splitting up the future-witches will be okay."

"Well, we'll just have to speak with Lt. Col. Anabuki and S/L Häkkinen later."

"I guess that would be fine."

They stopped in front of a sleek-looking Striker painted in black. Ahonen looked at it with amazement, while Meifeng looked at it with slight confusion. "Why is it that, despite having just graduated from flight school, I was entrusted with one of the most sophisticated and technologically-advanced Striker Unit?"

"It must have been something your superiors saw in you," said Ahonen, "A magnificent machine for a magnificent girl."

Suddenly, the scramble alarm went off, and the base came alive with frantic activity. Meifeng also sprang into action, fusing with her familiar, then grabbing her JS 9mm pistol, then her AMR-2 anti-materiel rifle, and finally her headset. She put in a full magazine, and then bolted in a fresh round into the breech. Hopping up the ladder and into her Strikers, she noticed Ahonen had begun sprinting back towards the hangar. She detached from her cradle and headed over to her. "Hop on. I'll get you there faster," she said.

"Okay," said Ahonen; she grabbed Meifeng's outstretched hand. Suddenly, she was swept up in an even quicker clip than her own sprinting. Before long, they made it to the 1st Squadron hangar, where the rest of Ahonen's girls were already hopping into their Bf 109s. Kaia, being the squadron's sharpshooter, attached a fresh magazine of 20mm shells into her Lahti L-39 anti-materiel rifle, and cocked it with a turn of a crank. Ahonen also hopped into her own Striker and grabbed her machine gun. "I trust your friends have no doubt put on their equipment," she said, "Go join them."

"Yes ma'am, Flight Lieutenant, ma'am," said Meifeng with a salute.

Meifeng had already turned and left the hangar before Ahonen could say, "Just call me Mika."

* * *

0925 Hours (20 minutes ago)

Somewhere over Suomus

Haruka scanned the sky in front of her, flying in the fourth position of the four-ship flight. It felt rather awkward to not see her Tomoko flying in front, a position currently taken up by Tomoko's great-granddaughter Anko. Kaminari, her great-granddaughter flew as Anko's wing, wing feathers flapping away atop her head and unusually-long tail feathers sprouting from her butt like a streamer. Tomoko, flying the number three position, looked as lovely as ever with her foxtail flapping in the slipstream.

It was a strange feeling, meeting people from 75 years into the future, including a descendant who, as of right now, was at least two years her senior, and acted three times as mature, it seemed. Not only that, but Tomoko's descendant had probably the most ornately-decorated uniform she'd ever seen. It almost put Tomoko's attire to shame. Only almost. Nevertheless, she decided to ask about it.

"Um, Lt. Col. Anabuki?" she said.

"What is it, Fuso 2?" said Anko.

"Ah, sorry, Firebird 1," Haruka corrected herself, "I was going to ask…how did you happen to get all of those…decorations? Are you famous in your time?"

"Are you asking about my choice of Striker paint job?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're right about me being rather popular in the future, being an Anabuki and all."

Haruka noticed Tomoko beam a little smile of pride.

"As for the icy paint job, I had it kept on from the FASDF's 50th Anniversary. The sakura on my back is also from the same year."

"What about the crimson-red wing?" asked Haruka.

"Ah, that was from a mission I was in a while back. Would you like to hear about it?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind."

"Okay, so I and my wingman were over the Gulf….the Persian Gulf, in the Middle East, on a CAS, or Close Air Support, mission to support some troops that were pinned by Neuroi ground units. Next thing I know, a Neuroi jumped us from behind before we could do anything to evade it. A quick burst of laser bolts from the Neuroi sent my wingman careening out of control, and she collided with my right wing, shearing it off. We were both sent into a wild spin, and falling fast. Luckily, we were still up pretty high, so, thinking quickly, I angled downwards and accelerated with the spin, and I eventually stabilized. That Neuroi wasn't done with us, so I turned back, took quick aim with my GAU-19, and shredded it real quick with a burst."

"Whoa! And then what happened? Did you save your wingman?" asked Tomoko, who was suddenly extremely captivated by the story.

"Well, actually, she saved me," continued Anko, "See, my maneuver to aim and shoot down the Neuroi put me back into a death spiral. And then, in she came, left wing sheared off, grabbing me by the waist and leveling us both off."

"Did you fly back home afterwards?" asked Haruka.

"No," said Anko.

"What?!" exclaimed Tomoko, "But, you and your wingman both lost a wing. How could you possibly keep flying from that much damage?"

"Exactly. We each lost a wing, but on opposite sides. So together, we made a complete aircraft. Plus, we still had a mission to complete and troops counting on us, so there was no way we could just leave them behind. So, we got as close together as we could, wrapping an arm around each other's waists, and completing our mission. Only then did we return to base to land and repair."

"Whoa…." Both Haruka and Tomoko gasped in astonishment. "But what of your wingman?" asked Tomoko, "What happened afterwards?"

"Well, we were both awarded Orders of the Golden Kite, 5th Class, and 1st Defensive Memorial Cordons for our actions. We separated when I was transferred into the 815th Joint Air Wing, but last I heard, Captain Katou Marisa had been just promoted to Major, and was about to deploy to the Middle East for another tour."

"Katou?" asked Tomoko curiously, "You mean…?"

"Hm? You know someone named Katou?" Anko questioned quizzically.

"Do I? She's my closest friend. She's battling Neuroi in Karlsland currently."

"Ah," said Anko, "And from what I remember from history class, that exactly isn't going down very well, huh?"

"No, it isn't," said Tomoko solemnly. She suddenly felt very concerned for her best friend's safety. By now, humanity has been all but pushed out of Karlsland, and then another hive had opened up over Gallia. The witches and troops fought hard to keep every inch, but despite their best efforts, they just kept getting pushed farther and farther back. It seemed only a matter of time until they were pushed completely out of Europe.

"Firebird 1, this is Snow Woman, come in." Häkkinen's voice sounded urgent over the radio.

"I hear you, Snow Woman," said Anko, "What is it?"

"Scouts have reported multiple sightings of Neuroi heading towards you."

"Acknowledged, Snow Woman," said Anko, "All witches, how are you tracking?"

"This is Lighthouse," said Aya, "I'm tracking the bogeys from the north. A lot of bogeys."

"Same here," said Hartman, who spoke for Stefanie, and Marie, "We're picking up a lot of stuff coming our way."

"I'm starting to get some contacts myself," Anko said.

Tomoko looked around, visibly confused. The future-witches were all reporting that they made contact, yet Tomoko couldn't see a single speck of anything for miles around. No doubt her friends felt the same way. "I don't see anything, Firebird 1," she said.

"Well, we haven't made visual yet," said Anko, "We're just picking it up on our radars."

"Radars?"

"Long-range tracking devices," said Kaminari, "We'll explain later."

"In the meantime," said Anko, "All witches, get visual confirmation on those bogeys. We don't want any blue on blue. How copy?"

"Wilco, roger that," came the replies.

Tomoko and Haruka were suddenly left behind as Anko and Kaminari rocketed off with a loud roar, which made Tomoko quite furious. A few seconds later, the two future-witches rejoined their ancestors. "So sorry about that," said Anko with a smile, "We forgot we weren't in 2015 anymore."

"I can't believe you just left us behind, you ignorant brats," said Tomoko.

"I'm sorry, really. Won't happen again." Anko flew up next to Tomoko and took her hand, motioning for Kaminari to do the same for Haruka. "In fact, we'll give you a lift."

"Hold onto your glasses, Haruka-san," said Kaminari, "They don't call me Pika-Don for nothing."

"O-okay…." Haruka sounded extremely unsure.

"Wait, how do you know this is safe?" asked Tomoko, slightly apprehensively.

"Hey, we're witches," said Anko excitedly, "There's nothing in the world we can't do. Just hold on tight."

With that, they were off, flying at supersonic speeds, straight into the oncoming storm.

And that's when Aya radioed in with some really bad news.

* * *

0945 Hours

Kauhava Air Base

As it turned out, the large force of Neuroi that the first sortie had detected was merely a large and obvious decoy, concealing another force with much sinister purposes in store: a formation of bombers on a direct route to Slussen and Kauhava Air Base. Häkkinen had already gotten word from Aya, the AWACS – which Häkkinen had found out to stand for Airborne Warning and Control System – witch, as well as other bases nearby that large formations of Neuroi bombers and fighters were approaching all along the northern front, and they were doing all they could to prevent the intended outcome the Neuroi had in mind. Hoping that the future-witches would give her greatly distinctive advantages, she scrambled them along with 1st Squadron to defend the town and the base.

She had never seen the Neuroi come out in such numbers before. And she hoped and prayed to God that it would be enough. Some divine protection and help would really come in handy right about now. Still though, it wouldn't hurt to call in some otherworldly help of her own. She radioed Anko's sortie, telling them to divert their course and head for one of the towns that was in a tight bind.

* * *

Airspace outside Slussen and Kauhava Air Base

It didn't take long to locate the Neuroi, not with the kinds of tech that Jasmine and the rest of the future-witches were packing. The big ones with long wings and four engine pods were called Kefalas bombers, Flight Lieutenant Ahonen had told them, and they brought a lot of little friends with them, which Ahonen also called Laros fighters. These little things have been giving all the witches of the current time all manner of hell, lately.

Luckily for them, they just received some anachronistic help. Jasmine had already gave the weapons free call, and was locked onto a Kefalas making a beeline straight for Slussen's central square. _Not if I have any say about it, ya fat motherfucker,_ she shouted in her mind. Instead, she just said, "Goldeneye, Fox 2!" A Sidewinder missile rocketed right into the Kefalas' right wingroot, and it fell apart. "Splash one for me, girls!"

* * *

Now that she was finally tasting combat, Meifeng finally understood the advantages her weird little magic ability gave her. Casting an Illusion Decoy, and then disappearing in another direction at top speed, the Laroses would fire upon it. Then, seven eighths of the damage they dealt the Decoy would be reflected back to the Laroses, while the remaining eighth would come back to her as Magic Energy. This effectively kept her in the air for longer periods of time, took out the escorting fighters, and left her with as clear a shot as ever on the Kefalas bombers – 3 birds with 1 stone! Or decoy…

Anyway, the important thing was, she was doing a really good job. The Neuroi never really knew what hit them. Lijuan would be proud of her. Shaking back the tears about to well up in her eyes, she adjusted her glasses and HMD screen, and refocused on the fight at hand.

It was then that she heard Marie-Rose frantically calling on the radio. "Grizz to anyone able, I'm being tailed by three of those Laros thingies! Halp, plez!"

* * *

Lt. Jin Lan, upon hearing Marie-Rose's plea for help, decided to respond. "Don't you worry, Grizz!" she said, "I, Vigorous Dragon, shall come to your aid!" She loved sounding like a classic superhero.

"Thank you, Vigorous Dragon," said Marie-Rose.

She slung her autocannon over her shoulder, pulled out her cherished _dao_ sword – though officers in the Chinese Air Force normally would be issued _jian_ swords, like Meifeng's, Lan preferred the tougher-looking _daos_ more – and spawned a Magic Shield on her free arm. As per Republic of China military standards, she was well-versed in martial arts, particularly a style that utilized a broadsword and a shield. She dove into action, disorienting on Laros with a smack of her shield, while swinging at another with her _dao_. With her Sunlight Strike ability, she strengthened her blade, and it sliced the poor Laros in half. She turned, and stabbed the disoriented Laros, killing it. With a Butterfly Twist kick, she whirled around, and sliced the final Laros in two. Marie-Rose was safe.

"Take that, you Neuroi scum!" Lan shouted to the falling pieces of Laros.

"My hero," she said thankfully.

"My pleasure," said Lan.

* * *

Ahonen was greatly impressed with how well the future-witches were performing. She was especially proud of Meifeng. She had already taken down no less than two Kefalas bombers and their Laros escorts singlehandedly, and the way she moved so gracefully and effortlessly, Ahonen almost couldn't believe Meifeng was fresh from Flight School, she had said.

"Sister!" said one of her squadron mates, "A Kefalas is getting close to the base."

"Another one is heading right for Slussen," said another squadron mate.

"Dammit!" Ahonen said, "Those dirty low-lives."

"Do not worry about the Neuroi heading for Slussen," said a future-witch named Lt. Jaqueline Boyington, "I will handle it."

Without any further word, Jaqueline unslung an old-looking bow from around her shoulder, and strung up an arrow she took from an equally-ancient-looking quiver. Ahonen was so flabbergasted, she froze in place, disdainfully curious as to how she could accomplish a task as shooting down alien Neuroi with such an ancient weapon; she motioned for Kaia to take aim with her more powerful L-39 rifle. Taking careful aim, unheeded by 1st Squadron's jeering glances, Jaqueline loosed the arrow.

As if taken by some godly force, the arrow suddenly burst forth, warping the air around it with a powerful sonic boom. It also then transformed from an arrow into a bright streak of fire, screaming towards its target. With the force of a Tallboy earthquake bomb, Jaqueline's arrow obliterated the Kefalas, engulfing the Laros escorts in massive fireball.

All of 1st Squadron looked on in slack-jawed astonishment. Jaqueline turned and smiled softly. "Even with a bow-and-arrow, I can still do some damage. Now, let's finish this." She slung up her bow over her shoulder, and grabbed her autocannon. And then she was gone, off to put down more nefarious Neuroi.

* * *

Meanwhile….

Elsewhere over Suomus

The witches of the first sortie were called to divert to another town that was under attack by Neuroi bombers and fighters. Aya had detected a large formation of Neuroi aircraft heading south, and Häkkinen had told them that the fighters that they had first encountered so far north were just a decoy squadron, intended to distract and keep the witches occupied, while the big bomber squadrons laid waste to the unprotected cities and bases before the witches and military could respond.

What the Neuroi weren't expecting were the future-witches and their jet-powered Striker Units and vastly superior weaponry. Still though, they were so far north by the time they were diverted, and they had to bring the 507th along, so by the time they arrived on-scene, the Neuroi bombers were already beginning their drops. The local witches were doing all they could, but a squadron of 10 against such large numbers could only do so much; the town was getting hammered pretty badly.

Tomoko, holding tight to Anko, gritted her teeth in anger. She picked out a bomber making a run on what looked like a school building and said, "There, Firebird 1! That Kefalas is going to hit that school!"

"I see him," said Anko. She let go of Tomoko's hand, whirled around behind her, and wrapped her in her arms.

Tomoko blushed. "Wh, wha, what are you doing?!"

"Hold on tight," said Anko gleefully, "You ready?"

"No," came Tomoko's nervous answer.

"Me neither. Let's do this!" Tomoko felt and heard the jets in Anko's Strikers suddenly explode in a cacophonous roar as they both accelerated at breakneck speed.

Tomoko screamed in a combination of fear and exhilaration. And when Anko started into a zoom climb, Tomoko seemed to revel in the G-forces pushing against her. It really was terrifying and exciting at the same time; it almost even reminded her of the first time she mounted a Striker and flew.

At the peak of the climb, Anko said, "Alright, _o bāchan,_ I'm gonna light up my afterburner, and we're gonna put gravity to our advantage. With you underneath me, I won't be able to use my missiles, and we'll be too close to use our guns, so…" Anko drew her sword, "…we're gonna go with a melee kill."

Tomoko liked the prospect of using her _Hizen Osafune_ once more, especially when her great-granddaughter used the same family heirloom. She drew out her own sword, and nodded that she was ready.

"Okay," said Anko. She arched back, bringing both of their bodies facing downwards. "LET'S GOOOOO!"

"UOOOOOOOOOO!" Tomoko roared.

They dove, and opened the throttle as much as they dared, picking up speed so quickly that Tomoko's Ki-44 screamed with strain. They angled towards the Kefalas, and the speed they gained blew them right through its escorting Laroses, which scattered in panic. Anko let go of Tomoko, and rolled onto the other side of the Kefalas. Tomoko and Anko dug their swords into the Neuroi's sides, tearing great big gashes in it. The Kefalas fell to pieces and plummeted into the ground.

The Laroses reformed up, and began firing on Tomoko and Anko. Tomoko threw up a shield and squeezed her eyes shut. But it wasn't necessary. The Laroses' bolts ricocheted harmlessly off of Tomoko's body. When she opened her eyes, she'd found herself engulfed in blue magic symbols. She noticed Anko's GAU-19 gun in one hand rattling away at the helpless Neuroi fighters, while Anko herself stressed to keep her free hand held out towards Tomoko.

"What's going on?" asked Tomoko, "Why am I covered in magic symbols?"

"My ability," said Anko with a grunt, "I can change the shape, size, and position of my shields. But…I'm having trouble…maintaining…Augh!"

Without warning, bolts from a Laros cut into Anko, and she lost her control of the forcefield shield around her. More bolts flew in Tomoko's direction, and she threw up her own shield. But not before a few had cut into her as well. Tomoko shouted in pain. She touched a gash in her shoulder, and felt sticky blood on her finger, and she noticed that her miko uniform was stained with her blood as well. Other than that, she was fine.

As for Anko, she was in far worse a shape. Because she was focusing all her shields on Tomoko's forcefield, as well as shooting her heavy GAU-19 with just one hand, she had no shield for herself. Neuroi bolts had perforated her arms and torso, and grazed her legs, Striker, and face. She barely had enough energy to keep aloft. With a spacy look, she checked something on her watch; a red flashing level indicator of some sort was quickly falling, with the words "Magic Energy Level Critical" flashing with equal urgency. Tomoko could see that she was beginning to lose consciousness. And altitude.

Thinking quickly, Tomoko rushed over and grabbed Anko before she could fall any further. She was shocked. "Anko? Anko!" she shouted, "Hey, stay with me. Come on!"

"H-hey, _o bāchan_ ," said Anko with a weak smile, "We…we got them good…did…didn't we?"

"Just call me Tomoko," said Tomoko.

"Okay, Tomo-chan," said Anko, "Listen, you take over for me, will you? I…just need to….close me eyes…" And she was out.

"Anko. Hey, Anko!" Tomoko shook her great-granddaughter, trying to wake her up. "All witches," she said over the radio, "Firebird 1 is incapacitated. I repeat, Lt. Col. Anabuki is incapacitated."

* * *

"Anko's down?!" shouted Sarah Beurling over the radio.

"Is she dead?!" said Alisa Leivonen.

"You Goddamn dirty Neuroi scumbags!" shouted Aya in rage.

"Kya!" said Elma nervously, "Captain Amundsen, you sound scary."

"Flying Officer Leivonen, Alisa, you two need to give me some space," said Aya in a darkly calm voice.

"Wh-what?" asked Elma.

"JUST GET OUTTA HERE!" shouted Aya, looking at poor Elma with eyes red with fiery anger.

"Elma, we should go," said Alisa.

Elma nodded, and the two Leivonens left.

Aya glared back at the Neuroi moving off towards the town, and fired off a few rounds from her machine gun to get their attention. The Laroses broke off from their Kefalases and began attacking her. Suddenly, what sounded like a thunderclap reverberated through the air and Aya began making throwing motions with her arms. Anything and everything around her, be it tree or earth or vehicle or building or Neuroi, was ripped from their positions and tossed at other Neuroi. Then, Aya pushed out to her sides with her arms, releasing a powerful pulse of psionic energy, literally ripping everything apart.

Aya was panting deeply, trying to relax. She slowly descended down to the town's central square, where a large group of residents stared fearfully at her. Looking around, she realized what she'd done. She'd completely eradicated the Neuroi aircraft; none survived to make a retreat. But in the process of doing so, Aya had all but destroyed the town. There was little doubt that many of the buildings she threw into the sky were people's homes, workplaces, hangouts, livelihoods. And in just a wink, they were destroyed, by a witch whom the people believed was there to protect them.

"I…I'm sorry," Aya said, quivering with shame, "I…I didn't mean for this…really…" She hovered forward, and the people stepped back. She knew what she was to them. She could see it in their eyes. She wasn't their savior. She was a monster. With a face wet with tears, Aya flew back into the sky.

"Aya, wait," said Alisa, stopping the witch by grabbing her arm.

Aya silently locked eyes with Alisa, taking control of her mind, and making Alisa let go of her. Aya flew off back to Kauhava, her usually-vacant eyes filled up with tears and sadness, as memories of a horrid past played over and over in her mind.

 **[End of Chapter 12]**

* * *

 _Um…hi? I'm Flying Officer Katou Takeko, and…I guess I'm typing some sort of message to you all. What kind of typewriter is this….? Anyway, before I get to my message, I have been asked to put down some sort of reference, so here it is: the song for which this chapter is titled comes from the OST of "Kingdom Hearts". I have no idea what an OST or Kingdom Hearts is, but I have been told to put this here. Now, for my message. Do not tell Tomoko this, but I have been transferred to Suomus, for reasons I will disclose later on._

 _Okay, now that that's over, I am going to mull over the reports we have received about supposed future-witches. And also….Katou Marisa…? I have a great-granddaughter, just like Tomoko. Whoa…_


	14. Chapter 13: Pain

_"Wait…what do you mean?" Aya asked the convention leader._

 _"The Neuroi have been sent to this Earth by God to finally cleanse it of its impurities," said the leader, "Once all of the unclean people have been dealt with, we can finally be at peace with the Neuroi as our ever-vigilant protectors. Don't you see child?"_

 _"Will I be a part of this perfect world?"_

 _"I wish it were true, child." The leader laid a hand softly upon Aya's head. "But, as a witch, you are unclean, too. I am so sorry. But in order to attain the peaceful Utopia, sacrifices must be made."_

 _Aya was shocked into silence. Then, the shock turned into anger. Her breath quickened, and various objects around her began to levitate and swirl around with increasing speed._

 _"Child!" said the leader fearfully, "Calm yourself!"_

 _"So, this whole time, you were using me?" said Aya, her voice oddly calm, while her Psionic Eruption storm began brewing and picking up steam. "You've been using me just attain your perfect little world. Well, let me tell you that you have crossed the wrong girl. If I am not to join you in this Utopia that the Neuroi will provide for us, then I shall see it burned to ashes!"_

 _With that, Aya lifted herself off of the ground, buildings and debris and other things all swirling around in a whirlwind around her._

 _"Child! NO!"_

 _"GRAAH!"_

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Pain**

1000 Hours, 23 October, 1940

The town of Kuhmo, Suomus

Kaminari watched Aya's slowly shrinking form fly off in the horizon, then she turned back and noticed the destroyed town below. "We have to help these people!" she said. She attempted to fly down, but Tomoko grabbed her arm.

"Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu, stay up here," said Tomoko, still holding Anko in her free arm, "Let the local doctors and medics handle the civilians. We have to get back to base as soon as we can."

Kaminari looked at Tomoko with a glare. Tomoko could see that this girl's usual quiet demeanor had left her completely; what came in its place was a focused, and rather forceful, persona. With the Neuroi now gone thanks to Aya's Psionic Eruption, the business of tending to the casualties of the attack took full priority. It didn't matter that Tomoko had been given operational command when Anko was incapacitated. Kaminari pulled her arm out of Tomoko's grip, stating, "I'm a healer witch. It's my job!"

Now free, she flew down to the ground, and jumped out of her Strikers. Tomoko and the others joined her down. Firstly, she wrapped Anko's wounds with some magic-infused bandages, making sure that there was no debris lodged inside and that she was stable. Then, she hailed down a couple of men in a car. The men followed her over to where Tomoko and the others were. Then, Kaminari grabbed the closest Suomi-speaking witch to her – which happened to be Elma Leivonen – and told her to translate for her. "This girl is stable, but she's unconscious," she said, while Elma translated, "Can you take her somewhere to rest?"

 _"Joo. Voimme auttaa,"_ said one of the men.

"Thank you," said Kaminari, which Elma translated.

The men helped lay Anko in the car. Then, they turned to Kaminari, and said, _"Jos olet lääkintämies, voisimme käyttää apua."_ Then, they nodded to Elma for her to translate.

"They said that if you're a medic, they could use some help," Elma told Kaminari.

"Tell them I said that's what we're here for," said Kaminari.

 _"Hän sanoo, että mitä me olemme täällä,"_ said Elma.

 _"Se on hyvä,"_ said the men, _"Voitko tulla mukaamme?"_

"The men asked if you could join them back to the aid station," said Elma.

Before Kaminari could answer, she noticed a couple of soldiers – an officer and an enlisted man judging by their uniforms – carrying a wounded man in a stretcher. Kaminari dashed off with Elma in tow towards them, while the other witches watched.

When she got there, Kaminari saw that the man wasn't moving, but he was breathing. However, he did have a rather nasty-looking wound in his chest. "Has he had any morphine?" she asked in Britannian.

"Yes," said the officer, thankfully in Britannian as well.

"How much?"

"I don't know," said the enlisted man in broken and heavily-accented Britannian.

"You don't know?!" asked Kaminari, eyes wide in shock and anger.

"Maybe 3 or 4 syrettes, maybe," said the enlisted man.

" _Are?!"_ Kaminari shouted in Fusan, "Are you trying to kill the man?!"

"Well, it might have been less," said the officer, "Like we said, we don't know."

Kaminari irately looked the officer dead in the eye, and said, "Yeah, well you are an officer, you are a grown-up. You should know!"

The officer looked about ready to say something back, but he knew she was right; plus, judging by the animal features coming out of her body, he could see that the girl glaring at him was a witch. So he kept his mouth shut. Kaminari shook her head, muttered, _"Aho,"_ under her breath, and checked the wounded man's injury. Satisfied that there was no shrapnel lodged in, she placed her hands over the wound, and applied some healing. Her hands glowed blue, and the man's wound was healed. Kaminari turned to Elma and asked her to tell the men in the car to drive over here and pick up the soldier in the stretcher.

Elma ran over and relayed the request, and the officer and the enlisted man loaded their wounded comrade into the car next to Anko. The men then gestured for Kaminari and Elma to hitch a ride with them back to the aid station. Before she joined them, Kaminari handed all the witches a roll of her magic-infused bandages. "Use them sparingly," she told them, "Please help as many as you can."

"I can arrange for a truck to be brought over to take your Strikers and equipment," said the officer.

"Talk it over with Pilot Officer Anabuki," said Kaminari, gesturing to Tomoko, "She's my commanding officer."

"We'll meet you back at the aid station when we're all out of bandages," said Tomoko.

Kaminari nodded, and the car drove off.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Kauhava Air Base

Jasmine was pacing the hangar nervously; the other witches with her weren't pacing, but they felt her apprehensions. It's been quite a while, and Anko and the others still haven't returned from their mission. Everyone was afraid that something had happened. But their fears were quelled when they heard the sounds of turboprop Strikers. It was Aya!

Which would have been all well and good. Had she not returned by herself, without any of the other future-witches or the 507th witches. Once Aya had landed and docked in the hangar, Jasmine and the others began asking a lot of questions. What happened? Where are the others? Why are you crying?

Aya forced a smile through her tears, telling everyone that it's alright. Anko was incapacitated, and so the others from her group are staying in Kuhmo for the night until she gets better. Without further word, she walked out of the hangar and off towards Slussen.

* * *

Back in Kuhmo, at the aid station set up at the schoolhouse, Kaminari and Elma have been hard at work tending to all of the wounded citizens, soldiers, and even other witches and airmen there. It was hard work, and each person had varying degrees of injuries. There were so many patients that Kaminari and Elma soon ran out of magic-infused bandages, so Kaminari switched to her ointments, also magic-infused, applying them to the wounds and either covering them up with a regular bandage or leaving them be. Soon, she even ran out of ointments, so Kaminari finally resorted to her Magic Healing ability.

There was one such case where a soldier had a particularly nasty laceration through the side of his thigh; it was so deep that Kaminari could feel the man's bone inside. She could tell that the femoral artery was cut open, so she looked at the man, and told him as calmly as possible, "I can heal you up, but before I do that, I have to cause you more pain. Are you ready?"

 _"Morfiini,"_ said the man weakly.

"He's asking for morphine," said Elma.

"I can't do that," said Kaminari, "Your heart rate is already low. Morphine could kill you."

After Elma translated the message, the man nodded. She grabbed his hand to help comfort him.

"Okay," said Kaminari, " _Koko ni ikimasu…_ "

She gingerly reached into the gaping cut, probing for the femoral artery. The man screamed in immense pain, squeezing Elma's hand until it turned nearly pale. Elma was unnerved, but Kaminari's expression remained stoic. Finding the artery, she pinched it closed with her fingers, and repeated the process with her free hand; then, she fed magic energy into her hands, accelerating cellular and tissue repair with her Magic Healing. Finally, she used Magic Healing to close up the soldier's leg.

Another critical case that Kaminari and Elma came across was a civilian already being tended to by a couple of nurses; the poor girl had a bloody bandage wrapped around her right eye, and her blood-soaked clothes revealed a deep hole in her chest spouting blood in an endless geyser. Kaminari ran in and squeezed herself next to the unconscious girl.

 _"Mitä tapahtui?"_ Elma asked one of the nurses tending to the patient.

 _"Hän on tajuton ja menettää paljon of veri,"_ said the nurse, _"Olemme yrittää pitää hänet vakaa."_

 _"Tämä tyttö on noita ja parantaja,"_ said Elma, _"Hän voida auttaa."_

 _"Kaikki auttaa voimme pasta on tervetuloa,"_ said the nurse.

Kaminari first unwrapped the bloody bandage on the girl's face, revealing an eyeball dislodged from a bloody socket. Kaminari put as much of the eyeball she could back into the socket, and Magic Healed it up. The nurses stopped to gawk at the strange witch and her strange healing powers; in doing so, they left the girl's chest unattended. The blood geyser began to erupt once more. "Aw hell!" shouted Kaminari, as she whipped out a thick bandage from her medkit and applied pressure on the girl's chest. The other nurses sprung back into action as well, grabbing bandages of their own to stymy the flow of blood. Elma, already unnerved by the soldier with the leg laceration, grew even more anxious at the scene unfolding before her.

Kaminari and a nurse practically had their hands inside the girl's chest, applying as much pressure to the wound as they could to stop the blood; the other nurse was sent to grab clean bandages. Kaminari was forced to dispose of her original bandage – the last one in her medkit – and instead tried to go for the Magic Healing approach that had worked so much before. Her hands glowed blue, and she began to heal again.

The blood flow began to subside, and the wound began to close up. Kaminari, Elma, and the nurse thought they could pull the girl through. But an urgent beeping interrupted their hoping; it was Kaminari's Magic Level Monitor application telling her that her magic energy was running dangerously low. "Oh, come on!" said Kaminari, "Just a little more."

The blue glow began to fade from her hands. "No, no, no, no, no…."

But it was no use. Kaminari's magic energy reserves were exhausted; her Magic Healing was too weak to do any significant repair. The blood geyser opened up again. Kaminari ripped off her right sleeve, and tried to use that as a bandage to stop the crimson-red fluid. She strained to keep the pressure in the chest, grunting and muttering under her breath. But it was to no avail. The nurse with her placed a hand on Kaminari's shoulder. When Kaminari looked at her, she shook her head.

 _"CHIKUSHO~!"_ Kaminari shouted in anger as she slammed the hand holding her torn sleeve onto the table on which the now-dead girl lay.

By that time, the other nurse returned with a bucked of fresh cloths to use for bandages. With head bowed in defeat, Kaminari took some cloths from the bucket and trudged off to the next patient. Elma turned back to the dead girl – the nurses were putting a sheet over her, and prepping her for the morgue – and followed after Kaminari with a hollow expression.

* * *

1200 Hours, 23 October, 1940

After two more long hours of tending to injuries, the soldiers and locals finally got the situation under control. Thanks to the efforts of Kaminari and the other witches she came with, a good portion of the wounded had been healed or at least stabilized; the doctors and medics took care of the rest. Some residents even set up a chow station to get hot food to everyone.

Kaminari and Elma tiredly sat down for the first time since they'd touched down; Kaminari's assertive attitude had left her. The past couple of hours have really taken a toll on her and Elma, what with the immense physical and emotional stress, and they sat without talking or looking to each other. Soon, Tomoko found them staring quietly at a fire someone had gotten going. After she had used up her roll of magic-infused bandages that Kaminari handed her, she joined up with a group of locals who had been passing out hot food and drinks from the chow station to the townspeople. The state of Kuhmo reminded her of the time when the refugees from Slussen had been staying in Mikkeli; this time, she wanted to help give back in more ways than fighting Neuroi. So, there she was holding a tray of just three more soups.

"Hey," said Tomoko, "Everyone's finding time to relax. I had Haruka and Giuseppina stay with Anko after they used up the bandages you gave them."

"That's good," said Elma. Kaminari said nothing.

"Want some soup?" asked Tomoko, "You two should eat something hot." She handed Elma a bowl of soup.

"Thank you, Flying Officer," said Elma.

"Here you go, Lieutenant Commander," said Tomoko. Kaminari reached out with shaking hands covered in blood.

"Lieutenant Commander. Your hands," said Elma, only a little shocked.

Kaminari stared at her hands blankly, and made a half-hearted effort to wipe it off with the piece of sleeve she tore from her uniform. It wasn't really working, for the white cloth was already soaked red with blood. The blood of the girl she had failed to save. She stopped and stared at her hands, holding the sleeve.

"Are you alright, Lieutenant Commander?" asked Tomoko, sitting down next to Kaminari with the tray on her lap.

Kaminari remained silent for a further few seconds, and then she said, "The worst thing about treating those people, was not that they had their bodies maimed. It was that they had their souls maimed." She looked up at Tomoko. "Those blank stares, and the screams of pain. It just about broke my heart, you know?"

Tomoko honestly did not know what to say to that. Though a welcome relief, she was a little bothered by the fact that this descendant of Haruka's wasn't trying to feel her up at all. She was more bothered by Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu's depressed state.

Kaminari looked at Tomoko's body, and noticed that she had a lot of wounds, and that her miko uniform was stained with her blood. "You've been injured," she stated matter-of-factly.

Tomoko looked at her wounds. Honestly, she completely forgot about her wounds in the flurry of action from helping around the town. "Yes," she said, "That's right. I am."

Kaminari checked her magic level, and it looked like she had just enough. "I should be able to get you fixed up," she said, "Come with me."

Kaminari put her soup down, and she and Tomoko headed back to the aid station. At a private room inside one of the tents, Kaminari gestured for Tomoko to sit down on the cot. "Would you please remove the top of your miko uniform?" she asked, "I need to get a better look at your injuries."

"Wha, wh, wh, wh, wh, what?" Well, maybe Tomoko had pinned her right when she thought that she was going to do something lewd to her. She froze in nervousness, as various memories she would rather leave forgotten rushed through her mind.

"Well, come on," said Kaminari as she did her best to clean her hands, "The sooner you take off your top, the sooner I can get you fixed up." She adjusted her glasses.

Tomoko snapped out of it, and removed the top of her uniform, and then undid her undergarment. She now sat nervously in front of Haruka's descendant, half-naked and assuming the worst.

But what happened next was completely unexpected to her. Lieutenant Commander Sakomizu Kaminari looked almost exactly like Sakomizu Haruka – she even had a pair of thick round glasses just like her – yet, she didn't take the opportunity to do lewd things to Tomoko. The most that happened was Kaminari analyzing the wounds on Tomoko's shoulder, arms, and sides. "You have nice skin, Flying Officer Anabuki," said Kaminari.

"Th-thank you," said Tomoko.

After another analysis, Kaminari said, "You're in luck. I found another roll of gauze bandages. So I won't have to directly touch your body." She held the bandage roll in her hand, and fused with her Tropicbird familiar. As the feathers sprouted from her head and butt, a blue-colored glow emanated from her body, which soon transferred into the roll.

With that done, she proceeded to wrap Tomoko's wounds in the newly-infused magic bandages. Soon, she was finished, and Tomoko could feel the soothing effects of the magic working its stuff on her body. She was truly astonished; this descendant of Haruka's was on a level completely different from Haruka. For one thing, she was confident and focused where it mattered, and she wasn't a perverted little girl who constantly tried to throw her hands in Tomoko's skirt, or something.

"I know what you must be thinking," said Kaminari, "You are a very beautiful girl, and Makoa-san's ancestor at that. But right now, you are my patient. And as your doctor, it is my job to maintain my composure and keep you healthy. This goes for everyone I treat."

"You know, you're a good doctor," said Tomoko, "You work hard, you have healing abilities, and you have a lot of skills."

"No," denied Kaminari, "I am not a good doctor. I mean, I've treated wounded before. Many times. But never to this magnitude. What I saw today nearly made me sick. In fact, I'm almost convinced to quite being a medic. I'd rather work at a meat shop than go through that again…"

"But, your ability," said Tomoko, "You can heal people just by touching them. That's truly a gift."

"No," said Kaminari. She held up her hands, making them glow faintly blue with her magic. "This isn't a gift. It's a curse."

"But…" Tomoko's voice trailed off. Again, this Kaminari left her speechless.

"Born with the unique ability to heal just by touching them, and everyone expects you to become a medic," Kaminari thought aloud as stared at her hands, "Those with other abilities are free to do anything. But me, I'm stuck playing this role."

Packing her medkit with as many bandage rolls as she could, Kaminari slung it over her shoulder across her chest, and said, "The magic in your bandages should wear out in about 4-5 hours. By then, just go ahead and take them off. Here, let me help you get your clothes back on."

"Okay." Tomoko put her undergarment back on, and then slipped on her top, both with Kaminari's help. With that done, Tomoko said, "Thank you. Let's go."

* * *

Meanwhile….

Elsewhere in the aid station

Haruka and Giuseppina sat next to Anko, still out on a bed from her injuries; the magic bandages on her body still continued to glow bright blue. Giuseppina broke the silence. "You know, Lieutenant Commander Sakomizu's sudden change in character was pretty surprising," she said, "One minute, she's almost your spitting image. And the next, she's all action."

"Yeah," said Haruka, "She almost appeared 4 years older than she looked from the way she was behaving." With her and Giuseppina no longer fighting over Tomoko, she decided to be a little friendlier with the Pasta Officer. Still, it did feel a little awkward to be nice to the girl she once considered a rival. "But she did appear a little rude," Haruka added, "That could be bad."

Suddenly, they heard Anko from the bed, "In her line of work, a lot of demand and responsibility is placed upon her shoulders." She sat up. "I have always held a special kind of respect from healer witches like Kaminari-chan. They experience the kinds of stuff that would make most girls' stomachs turn."

At the same time, Kaminari and Tomoko returned to find Anko awake and well. Kaminari's originally-vacant face lit back up with surprised elation. "Anko-san!" she said, "You're already awake?"

"Your magic bandages did the trick," said Anko, "And Tomo-chan, you were able to keep everyone in order. Good work, both of you."

"Eh? T-…Tomo-….chan?" said a surprised Tomoko.

"What? Don't like the nickname?" asked Anko.

"No…it's just…nevermind. Thank you."

"Flying Officer Anabuki, your uniform," said Haruka, "What happened?" She had only now just noticed Tomoko's bloodstained miko uniform.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," said Tomoko, "Lt. Cdr. Sakomizu took care of it. Yeah…." She felt her ears get a little hot.

"Only doing my job, Tomo-chan," said Kaminari.

"By the way, Kaminari-chan," said Anko, "What happened to your uniform?"

Kaminari looked back at the spot where her sleeve was, and then at the torn bloody sleeve itself; it still had her 815th JAW "The Musician Witches" badge on it, itself rather reddened with blood. "I tried to use it as a bandage," said Kaminari, "I guess I'll need a new one."

"Really?" asked Anko, confused, "I meant to ask why your uniform suddenly turned blue. Hold up, why are there two of you now?"

Now, Kaminari and everyone else were confused. "….Wait…Anko-san, where are you looking at?" said Kaminari, "That's Haruka-san, not me."

"Aw, _kuso_ …I must've messed up my contacts."

"Your….contacts?" asked Haruka.

"Small, flexible lenses that would fit right on top of your eyes," Kaminari explained, "It's like wearing an invisible pair of glasses. You're still able to see well without having a great big pair of glasses on your face."

"Just remember to clean them with your saline, and take them off every night," said Anko before rubbing her eyes, "and also, be very careful that they don't break, or you're screwed…"

"Did you bring any new ones?" asked Kaminari.

"No," said Anko, "We were only supposed to be over Suomus for three weeks, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Kaminari a bit grimly, "So…then, what now?"

"Guess I'm just gonna have to wear my glasses everywhere then, huh?" Anko smirked. "Wouldn't you like that, Kaminari?"

Kaminari suddenly felt her ears go hot, as images of her beloved Makoa and her red-framed glasses flashed in her mind along with Anko wearing her black-framed glasses. "O-oh, wh-whatever do you m-mean, L-Lieutenant C-Colonel Anabuki-san, ma'am?" she stammered.

"Nothing in particular, dear Lieutenant Commander," said Anko, still smirking.

Kaminari said nothing, her face red as a ripe tomato.

"In any case, we should call Kauhava and tell them we'll be here for the night," said Anko, checking her Magic Energy Level, "We don't have enough to get back right now."

"I'll, uh, I'll take care of that, Makoa-s – AHEM! I mean, Anko-san," said Kaminari.

"Mind if I tag along?" asked Giuseppina, "I know where you can get a telephone."

"Thanks," said Kaminari.

"Oh, and would you be a dear and see if Jasmine-chan could come over and bring my glasses," asked Anko, "Please?"

" _Hai hai,"_ said Kaminari. She and Giuseppina headed out of the aid station tent to make the call.

* * *

Nighttime

Bamboo Forest of the Lost

In another world entirely called Gensokyo, Sayaka Ichiro Miyafuji Bishop was resting against a bamboo tree, reading through that To-Do List she had attained from Cindy back in 1950. "Remember me?" she said to the readers, "I'm the girl from Chapter 8. You know, the one who can control Space and Time?"

Well, now that that's cleared up, we can get back to the topic at hand. Ahem, so, Sayaka was resting against a bamboo tree, reading over her To-Do List. First thing on that list: "Get help from friends." And Sayaka knew exactly where to look first, which lead her to here. "I mean, a lot of the people here contain a lot of power," she said, "The Neuroi won't see them coming."

"Won't see who coming?" asked a voice. A girl with long white hair and red pants walked into view from the bamboo trees. It was Fujiwara no Mokou, a human girl-turned-immortal, who guides people through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, and claims to run a yakitori shop in said forest. "You're back again, huh?" she said, "Are you lost?"

"Naw man," said Sayaka, "Just relaxing and enjoying the night." Getting up, she added, "But since you're here, would you please point me in the direction of the Scarlet Devil Mansion?"

"I can get you as far as the Human Village," said Mokou.

"That's perfectly fine," said Sayaka, "Shall we?"

* * *

The next morning

Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gensokyo

"Oh, come on, can't you reconsider?" asked Sayaka.

"I'm sorry, Lady Bishop," said Sakuya, the Scarlet Devil's maid with Time-controlling powers and a way with knives, "The Mistress's answer is final."

"After the Incident of Flandre's disappearance, along with the attack of those strange black flying objects, I just think it is safer if we all remain at the Mansion," said Remilia Scarlet, a young-looking vampire who is actually 500 years old, and the Mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Which, if I remember, you had a connection to," said Patchouli Knowledge, an anemic sorceress who spends a lot of time in the Mansion library, "These rifts you travel through leave residual tears in space, sucking things out from our world and bringing in others from other worlds."

"But, I took care of those," said Sayaka, "I sent back the Neuroi – the strange black flying objects are called Neuroi, by the way – and I brought Flandre back."

"Yeah," said Flandre, Remilia's younger sister at 495 years old, "I wasn't in any danger when I fell through a rift. In fact, it was really fun!"

"Fun or no, I was still very worried when you disappeared, Flandre," said Remilia. Turning back to Sayaka, she said, "Like Sakuya said, my position is final. I'm sorry, but this is too great a risk to do this."

Sayaka rubbed her palms. "Alrighty, I understand," she said deflatedly, "Too many variables to keep in consideration, not enough constants. Yeah, I know how that feels." She finished off the tea she'd been offered, and stood up, "Guess I'll have to keep looking. Thanks for the tea. And remember, if there's anything any of you need, anything at all, just let me know, okay?"

"Thank you," said Remilia.

"No prob, Bob. Toodles!" Suddenly, Sayaka vanished in a bright flash of gray static, leaving the Scarlet Sisters, Sakuya, and Patchouli surprised in silence.

"I don't know who's weirder now," said Remilia, "Her, or Yukari."

"Well, she's definitely quite a powerful one," said Sakuya, "She virtually has the combined powers of both Yukari and me."

"Someone with that much power in them could be dangerous," said Patchouli, "But she did seem polite enough."

"She's really nice," said Flandre, "She helped me get back to this world when I was lost."

"I know," said Remilia.

"We should have helped," said Flandre.

"No," said Remilia, "Do you know how scared I was when I found out you were gone? I thought you had ventured outside without an umbrella, or something."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sister," said Flandre.

"It's fine," said Remilia, standing up, "Anyway, let's go. I think it's time we eat breakfast."

"Yay! I'm starving!"

 **[End of Chapter 13]**

* * *

 _Okay, so that's the end of a nice little triple feature I lined up for you people. I know it's been awhile, but I was out of town for a very long time, and didn't have access to good wifi. So I had these chapters typed up, but couldn't upload them until now. Stay smart, stay safe, and I'll catch you next time!_

 _The title is from the song "Pain" by Mitis._


	15. Chapter 15: The News

**The News**

 **Transcript of a CNN Report, October 31, 2015:**

Headline: Multinational Fleet Disappears off Jazeeran Coast

 _The entire world is in uproar as yet another strange unexplained disappearance occurred earlier just this morning. At just Midnight last night Eastern European Time, an entire fleet of ships simply disappeared without a trace from off the coast of the United Kingdom of Jazeera._

(Show footage of multinational military operations in the Middle East)

 _NATO Task Force 119, a multinational fleet of 22 ships from five NATO member-nations, was dispatched from Britannia down to the Eastern Mediterranean to conduct operations against the Neuroi and their human Loyalist support groups, when they mysteriously vanished from their position. The Jazeeran military and Coast Guard are doing all they can to help find the fleet, or at least some evidence to explain their mysterious disappearance. The Israeli Navy is also assisting in this manner._

(Display footage of Ostomanian Navy and Coast Guard ships sailing through the Eastern Mediterranean)

 _The US Navy destroyers_ USS Ross, USS Porter, _and_ USS Winston S. Churchill, _along with the cruiser_ USS Leyte Gulf _and the amphibious assault ship_ USS New York _and its Marine Corps Expeditionary Brigade, were among the ships lost to this unexplained mystery._

(Display a map of Europe showing the routes of Mother Bird and the Mryia, along with their last known locations)

 _This has now been the second unexplained disappearance since two military witch carriers from the USAF and Orussian Air Force disappeared from Northern and Eastern European airspace just 10 days ago on October 21_ _st_ _. Witnesses from both incidents reported seeing the sky light up with a brilliant violet light accompanied by a loud electronic hum, and experiencing a great deal of radio and communication feedback. The phenomena have been reported to be experienced even great distances away from their sources, which scientists have pinpointed to be the sites where the witch carriers and Task Force were before they vanished. The President urges us all to remember the men and women lost, and pray for their families._

 _Coming up after the break, we talk with renowned scientist Dr. Emmet Brown to see what he believes may be the explanation to the disappearances. Also coming up, an Orussian passenger plane crashes into the Sinai Peninsula, killing 224 passengers and aircrew. Additional information on the devastating crash coming up, right here on CNN._

(Close out for commercial break)

* * *

 **Excerpt of an article in the November 5, 1945 issue of the Gallian newspaper** _ **Le Monde**_ **(Translated into Britannian for reader's convenience):**

Headline: Mystery Witches At Large  
By: Celestine Dubois  
Le Monde Staff Writer

 _At 10:00 last night, three mysterious witches escaped from the Ostman Embassy in Paris, and have raided the_ _Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base. These witches were the very same that had appeared over Paris after a brilliant flash of violet light lit up the skies six days prior. When they were ordered to land at Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base, they appeared dazed and confused, communicating with surprisingly fluid Gallian, and making claims to have come from places they called "the State of Israel" and "the United Kingdom of Jazeera". When asked where such countries were, they pointed to a map of the Ostman Empire. They were then taken to the Ostman Embassy, and their equipment was held at the air base._

 _During their custody in the Embassy, they were asked to explain what is going on, to which they made wild claims, such as Neuroi time-manipulating weapons, amongst others. When told that "the State of Israel" and "the United Kingdom of Jazeera" do not exist, they strongly and vehemently opposed, even producing documentation they believed could prove the existence of such countries. These documents were taken for examination, but officials believe them to be fakes. The three gave no further information beyond their names, ranks, country of origins, and birthdays. They were since held at the Embassy to await further questioning._

 _The incident of their escape is another mystery. Somehow, they knew the exact locations of their confiscated belongings, as well as the exact locations of their Strikers and weapons at Vélizy-Villacoublay. Nobody at the Embassy knew they had escaped until someone came to check on their room. Just as they mysteriously appeared, they had vanished. The Embassy staff and guards are currently under investigation to see if any had aided in the witches' escape._

 _The three are now at large and considered armed and dangerous. If you have any information regarding them, please contact the authorities or law enforcement at once. If you see them, do not approach under any circumstances._

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 **Transcript of an urgent news broadcast by** **Karlslands-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (KRG)** **, November 7, 1940 (Translated into Britannian for reader's convenience):**

 _This is an urgent report for all residents of Karlsland. Another "Lila Stern" (Translation: "Purple Star" – a recently occurring phenomenon where the sky lights up in a brilliant violet light, accompanied by a loud hum. Usually occurs at night, and is accompanied by massive electrical interference) has appeared, taking with it most of our brave volunteer witches from the Volunteer Corps. At the same time, the Neuroi have intensified their attacks all along the East, overpowering our military and gaining more and more ground. The Kaiser has issued a decree to evacuate. We advise all residents in the Eastern areas to evacuate to New Karlsland as quickly as possible. Our military will do what they can, but the situation truly seems grim. I urge you all who are listening, get out of Karlsland, for the safety of your families and loved ones._

 _People of Karlsland, know that this war is far from over. Do not give up hope. We will see Karlsland freed once again. But for now, we must withdraw. To take a step back and gather our strength. And then, we shall strike back with renewed vengeance, and reclaim this land as ours._

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 **Transcript from another CNN Report, November 10, 2015:**

Headline: More Disappearances Spark Massive NATO Withdrawal Out of Middle East

 _Yet another series of mysterious incidents occurred just last night over the European continent and the Middle East. Last night, the phenomena people are now calling the "Purple Daylight" was experienced virtually simultaneously in several locations around the world. And with it, came the strong electrical interference, and the unexplained disappearances._

 _One of the targets this time appeared to be witches who are members of test-flying squadrons, specifically those testing out brand-new stealth fighter Striker Units. Baltland, China, Orussa, India, Turkey, and Persia were the hardest hit, with each nation losing a handful of their most advanced Striker Units and technology to the Purple Daylight. Along with the stealth Strikers, units of tank witches, Nereids, and other airborne witches were being taken by the Purple Daylight. This subsequently sparked a massive withdrawal of NATO forces out of the Middle East._

(Show footage of war in Middle East)

 _Along with that, various nations are calling for their witches deployed overseas to be returned to their respective homelands, where it is believed they would be safer._

(Show footage of demonstrations across the globe, along with high brass meetings)

 _Coming up next, along with the disappearances, this time, some appearances. An entire squadron of witches from the Second Neuroi War appeared over Ostmark, and another squadron from the Gojoseon War appeared over Gojoseon. Find out who they are, and why their appearance may provide some heavy caliber support to the war. All that, and more, coming up right here on CNN. Stay tuned._

(Close out for commercial break)

 **[End of the News]**


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